About Us

Burlington Rotarians can trace their history back to the early months of 1915. Burlington Basket Company employee Emil A. Florang wrote to the Rotary International headquarters in Chicago. He wanted to know how to form a Rotary club in Burlington. About this time G.P. Edgar, manager of the Charles Edgar Farms of Burlington and a number of other men had the same idea. The two groups converged and under Edgar's leadership, continued their efforts to bring Rotary to Burlington.

At the first meeting of the Burlington Rotary Club, September 10, 1915, eighteen men were present and the first officers were elected. A constitutation and by-laws were adopted and an application for a charter was signed. The charter was dated October 1, 1915, and was received later during the month of October. This charter was numbered 186, indicating its relatively young age as a Rotary Club.

The first officers elected on September 22, 1915, were Carl S. Leopold, President; George G. Higbee, Vice President; and G.P. Edgar, Secretary. For the first 55 years Rotary met at Hotel Burlington. After the hotel closed in 1980, Rotary held their regular meetings at a number of places, including the Arion, Union Hotel, Burlington Golf Club, Moose Lodge, Pzzaz!, Wickliffe Inn, Messiah Lutheran Church and now the Comfort Suites and Convention Center.

The first reported project of the Burlington Rotary Club began October 23, 1915, when Professor Shortus of Iowa State University asked assistance of the Rotary Club in the re-distribution of apples among the poverty-stricken large city slum dwellers.