The Englewood Rotary Club was founded in 1937, with 17 charter members.  There was a formal celebration on the evening of November 17th, when the club charter was delivered by District Governor Bernie Vessey of Colorado Springs.   A turkey dinner was served by the ladies of the Community Church. 

In that era, the Chamber of Commerce brochure touted Englewood as follows:

  • The city that goes only forward
  • Big city advantages close at hand
  • Ideal for the poultryman and stockman
  • A future industrial center
  • Ideally situated for the tourist

The charter members of the club included

  • Walter Ehrlich, who sold insurance in Englewood for 42 years
  • Max Hessel, who set a national record by working for Standard Oil Company at local service stations for fifty-five years
  • Dr. Gatewood Milligan, who graduated from the CU School of Medicine in 1933 and went on to lead the staff at Porter and Swedish hospitals
  • Vince Scrivner, who worked for Colorado Central Power Company
  • Dr. Harry Weigand, who operated a small animal hospital on South Broadway, and also served as the Mayor of Englewood from 1951  to 1954

The admission fee to join the club was ten dollars, with yearly dues of fifteen dollars.  The first service project collected 25 cents a week to help crippled children.  Corrective surgery was performed at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs by volunteer physicians.

A copy of the club charter, and a list of charter members, are shown below.

 

Club Charter

Charter members (part 1)
Charter members (part 2)