Our History
The Rotary Club of Richmond has a rich legacy of service for over 100 years in Richmond, Virginia. The club was established in 1913 with a goal of "Service Above Self" and a commitment to improving our community through providing grants to non-profit organizations and volunteering hours to serve those in need. The club was the first club in Virginia with Rotary District 7600 and #69 in the world with Rotary International headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The Rotary Club of Richmond has served as a lead club in the state of Virginia in fostering over 70 clubs throughout the Richmond (South Richmond 1953) and Hampton Roads areas (Norfolk 1914). Notable thought leaders have ranged from our first club President John Corley whom we named for our own club foundation award (with $1.5 million dollars in assets), to Claude Woodward who was President in 1940-41 and later became Rotary District 7600 Governor. We continue to honor Woodward’s achievements each year in presenting an outstanding service award to a worthy Rotarian.
Over the next several decades the club membership grew to over 300 members represented by major corporate and small business leaders and members. A new era was ushered in by a generation of women leaders such as Jeanne Walls (2002-2003) who later became Rotary District 7600 Assistant Governor.
Also, special acknowledgments go to Jim Bynum, Club President (2004-2005) and later District Governor -one of the first to represent African American leaders in our club and district. More recently, Kenny Janes, Past President (2015-2016) also served as District Governor in 2022-23 with distinction.
Our club began over a century ago with a "handful of business and community leaders". Today we have approximately 80 members that continue to serve the Richmond community and Virginia. A further history of the club may be found in the book titled THE Rotary Club of Richmond -Serving Richmond for More Than a Century (Published May 2022)
- Mike Little, Rotary Club of Richmond Past President 2016-2017, District 7600 Assistant Governor 2022-24.
The Objective of Rotary
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
The Four-Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings: Of the things we think, say, or do.
Is it the TRUTH?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?