A Distinguished History

The Rotary Club of Wilmington began meeting in 1914. The first organizational meeting, with 22 members, was held at the Hotel du Pont, where the club has met continuously to the present day. On April 1, 1915, Rotary International granted the club its charter, making it the 148th club to join the world-wide organization that now numbers over 46,000 clubs. We are one of 39 clubs that comprise Rotary International District 7630, covering all of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. 

Engaging and thought-provoking programs have always been a hallmark of our weekly meetings.  We are proud to welcome speakers who educate us on business, the economy, issues important to our local service area, the City of Wilmington, and a broad spectrum of topics including government, education, politics, social reform, health care, the arts and entertainment. 

The Rotary Club of Wilmington celebrated its Centennial in 2014-2015 with several events, including an anniversary gala at the Gold Ballroom of the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington. We are the only Rotary club in the world that has met at the same location for its entire existence.

Click image above for Through The Lens of Service Book

From the beginning, the club has encouraged and fostered the ideal of service, reaching out to the community with hands-on and financial support. Awarding scholarships has always had a high priority, beginning in 1924, and continuing to the present. Members joined with the five other Greater Wilmington clubs that comprise Area 10 to develop and construct the Can-Do Playground designed for children of all abilities that opened in 2007. In 2015, in celebration of the Club’s Centennial, the Club embarked on a project to convert the little utilized H. Fletcher Brown Park in downtown Wilmington to an inviting venue for educational activities and neighborhood gatherings.

We continue to expand our legacy of service each year. On an international level, the club generously supports RI’s program to eradicate polio in the world, participated in a project that led to the construction of a potable water system for a remote town in Guatemala, supported scholarships for young girls in a new girls’ school in Lahore Pakistan, and raised nearly $300,000 for Internally Displaced People in Ukraine – among many other projects. 

The Rotary Club of Wilmington has rich and rewarding tradition of service that we hope will continue throughout its second century of service!