Rotary in Fairmont began with a conversation between Harold D. Wade and Frank Durga early in the year 1922. On March 27th of that year, a meeting of 21 selected individuals decided to make formal application for membership in the International Association of Rotary Clubs. On April 3rd, 1922, the following were elected officers: President, Harold E. Wade; Vice President, W. Lester Webb; Secretary, Robert H. MeCune; Treasurer, Seymour F. Durga; Sergeant at Arms, Morits C. Mourtisen. Directors were: John F. Haeckel, Thomas H. Curtis, and Roscoe C. Hunt.

On April 6, 1922, formal application was sent to the Secretary General in Chicago listing all the chartered members. Tom Curtis was appointed the first song leader and at the same meeting a bill for $30.35 was allowed to the Hotel Edgewater for the organizational banquet. Further action at this first meeting included the adoption of the rule that a fine of 10 cents be levied on each member for calling any other member by a name other than their given name or nickname.

By charter date Fairmont Rotary is the club second only to Minneapolis #9, to become chartered in what is now District #5950.

Since the club's inception, members of the Fairmont Rotary Club have willingly given their time and service for the betterment of others. Click on the Wahington Icon to the left for a list of our Past Presidents.

1922 cooperated with the Kiwanis in soliciting funds for Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls' work.
1927 members worked to complete the building of a hiking shack on the County Home property.
1932 underwrote the deficit that developed from the summer camping program for the Campfire Girls.
1934 subscriptions to the Rotarian were given to the public high school libraries.
1937 a dozen baby chicks were presented to each of several 4H youngsters to give them a start in chicken raising. As a contribution to encourage farm youngsters in raising better livestock, the club bid up to $15.00 more than the actual market value on some farm animals during July of 1937. During that same year the club paid for the repairs to the well at the Scout Camp - Camp Cedar Point - and provided a playground director for the summer months in Fairmont.
1938 donated wrapped gifts, which were distributed by the County Relief Agency to under-privileged children.
1943 the practice of assigning one person to be responsible for meeting programs was changed to having each member responsible for a specific week each year.
1963 sponsored a Boy Scout Troop for handicapped boys. Helped purchase canoes for the Scout Camp Cedar Point.
1967 began a fundraising effort to build a Rotary building at Camp Courage - a project of our District 5950. $3000 was raised that year for the project.
1971 celebrated the 50th years of the founding of the Fairmont Rotary Club.
1974 A project was begun to provide "Rotary Garden" plots to those who wished to grow flowers and vegetables during the summer. The first gardens, an ongoing project, were across from Friendship Village and south of the armory.
1976 The Fairmont Annual Book fair was begun. A bicentennial capsule was placed in the Martin County Courthouse lawn.
1977 The first International youth exchange student was sponsored.
1981 Purchased a fire-safe grand drape (main curtain) for the Fairmont Opera House which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings (The Jewel of the Praire).
1982 Helped purchase recreational equipment for the new Salvation Army facility. Helped purchase new uniforms for the Fairmont High School marching band. Purchase hardwood trees for the Heritage Acres project.
1983 Spearheaded the organizing of a Community effort to finance the successful return of the Fairmont High School Marching Band program that, due to severe school district cuts, curtailed most of the music department's activities.
1984 The annual "Rose Sales" was begun.
Rotarian, Dr. Neil Nickerson, received a Rotary International Foundation World Service Award for twenty-one years of Medical Missionary work in several different countries throughout the world. Alice, his wife with a Master's degree in nursing, worked side by side with Neil on most of these missions.
1986 participation in the Rotary International Polio-Plus campaign to eradicate Polio. Began participating in the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program. Sponsored a production by the Minnesota Opera company at the Fairmont Opera House.
1987 Hosted a group from Sweden through the Group Study Exchange. Fairmont Rotary was the main sponsor of the Region nine Special Olympics event held in Fairmont that year.
1988 welcomed the first female members to the Fairmont Rotary Club.
1998 Started the successful STRIVE program, designed to motivate students from the lower 1/3 of the senior class to increase their grade point average and attitude towards school by offering scholarships for post-secondary continuing education.
2000 Fairmont Rotary began the International Rotary Café project. The café provides computers and computer training to non-profit organizations in developing countries.
2001 Initiated and co-sponsored the purchase of a new AUDIO SYSTEM for the Sylvania Park Bandshell for community use.
Rotary Café's first computer project was completed in Arusha Tanzania. Rotarian Doug Hall, along with his son and daughter-in-law, placed 50 computers in schools throughout the Arusha area. This team then taught staff how to teach computer skills to their students.
2002 First annual Fairmont Rotary pancake breakfast fund raiser for the balloonist event held at the Fairmont airport.
2003 Began a service project that involved unloading food items for the Channel One Foodbank each month.
2004 Continued the tradition of support for the Fairmont Opera House by securing a Neighborhood Community Services Matching Grant from the Rotary District for the purchase of a CYCLORAMA CURTAIN.
2005 Fairmont Rotary’s CAFÉ (Computer Access For Everyone) Project began supplying computers to Medical as well as Educational facilities. It provided 50 PC’s to clinics and hospitals throughout Madagascar.
2006 Books for Kids. Fairmont Rotary provided each third grader in Fairmont a new book as well as several books for each classroom.
As a fundraiser, the Fairmont Rotary brought the Harlem Ambassadors to the Fairmont High School Gym to challenge Fairmont teams.