Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, formed the first Club in Chicago with three friends in 1905. We will be celebrating the 95th Anniversary February 2000.

Club 210 (which became Club 1621 under restructuring) was chartered April 1st, 1916. Our 80th  Anniversary was April 1st, 1996.

During the late '20s, the "Rotopaters" Band headed by "MC" Charley Mullen, played for one hour on a Kansas City radio station. Elizabeth Donavan sang. Jesse Davis was on the piano.

SGT Alvin York, the greatest hero of World War I was guest speaker on April 20th, 1928.

Also during the '20s, Leavenworth Rotary Club 1621 staged a carnival on the Courthouse lawn. Proceeds were donated to the Red Cross. Later a community center was established.

In 1933 we were active with the Civilian Military Camps, also college and high school ROTC. Also that year, all 4-H clubs were guests at a meeting. Immaculata and Leavenworth High School football teams were guests at a meeting at the Evangelical Church.

Undated items included securing passage for bonds for new schools, sponsoring the local Boy Scout movement, organizing the purchase of Abeles Field and assisting the founding of the local 4-H club.  

"The Rotarians" reorganized the recreational activities created by Club 1621 for the summer training camps for ROTC and CMTC. It was October 1st, 1940.  

In 1930, Club 1621 met at the Risdon-Sterett Clinic. Later, we moved to the Castle, where Mrs. Mella furnished the meals; then to the Old National Hotel. In the late '40s, meetings were held at Gene's Café. In May1953, the Cody Hotel was built and the club moved it's meetings there. In 1979. The meetings were moved to the Ramada Inn.

On July 3rd, 1976, a time capsule was buried on the lawn of City Hall. In conjunction with the Bicentennial event, Rotary bought the plaque-headstone and provided the capsule paraphernalia to be read by the Club 1621 president in 2076.

Club 1621 started the Irish Stew Dinner in the early '80s to raise money for the club's projects. Volunteers have prepared the stew at several locations; the Methodist Church kitchen, American Legion and for the last 11 years, the St. Casimir's Church kitchen.

In 1986, Nancy Steele was the first woman to be awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in Club 1621.

The Leavenworth Rotary Club participated in the Rotary International Polio Plus Campaign, initiated in 1986, with a goal of immunizing all the world's children against polio. The Leavenworth Rotary Club exceeded it's quota by raising, $23,859.00. Club member Harry Reeder was the chairman for our Rotary District and our club chairman was Dan Schilling. The total raised by Rotary International for the Polio Plus Campaign was $226 million dollars.

In 1987, Sister Mary Aloys Powell was the first woman to become a member of this Rotary Club

In 1989 COL Roger Donlon, (Ret.) who received the first Medal Of Honor in Vietnam, was made an Honorary Member of Club 1621.

In 1991, Martha Jenkins became the first woman to serve on the Board Of Directors of the club.

The Leavenworth Rotary Club has sponsored four District Conferences; 1928, 1954, 1974 and 1998. We provided the Model Luncheon at the District Conference in 1992 and in Leavenworth in 1998. Our Rotary Wheel and Banner were on display.

W.L. "Buck" Jones was presented his 60 year pin at the 1995 District Conference in Overland Park, Kansas.

Rotary  cleared the underbrush and growth from the arched railroad trestle at Five Mile Creek at 2nd and Limit streets.

Rita Kowalewski presided over Club 1621 and William S. Kromer served as District Governor on July 1st, 1997. Rita was the first woman president and Bill became our sixth member to serve as District Governor.

On September 2, 1999 Rotary Club 1621 honored W.L. "Buck" Jones with a 90th birthday party and to celebrate 64 years of service to Rotary. Buck was given a certificate from Rotary International President Jim Lacy, presented by  Past R.I. Board of Directors member Richard Barnett, a letter from District 5710 Governor Chuck Frazier, presented by ADG Joni Pflumm and a plaque from Rotary Club 1621. Buck's wife Leone was awarded a Rotary pin by Club 210.