Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on February 23, 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Our club’s journey started in Joliet, Illinois. Judge Charles B. Campbell, a circuit judge at the time, was a frequent guest at the Joliet Rotary Club while holding court there. To keep it simple, he was impressed and conveyed that to a local attorney while suggesting Kankakee needed a Rotary club. That attorney was Cassius Meloy Clay Buntain.
Cassius agreed with the judge’s sentiment and went to four of his friends, who were all immediately on board. Cassius organized the formation of the Kankakee Rotary Club, which held their first official meeting on June 25th, 1915, with the official charter date of July 1, 1915.
There were 25 charter members of the club. Doctors, coal dealers, bankers, cashiers, and small business owners. The Owner of what would later become the Kankakee Daily Journal was also a founding member.
The Kankakee Rotary Club made the front page of the Kankakee Daily Republican that was published on September 25, 1915. The above-the-fold article reported that the club visited the Joliet Rotary Club as a guest alongside clubs from other Illinois cities and a Rotary delegation from Chicago. This meeting also hosted international Rotary officers. One article noted that Kankakee intended to host a similar meeting the following year. Many of the area leaders got to speak at this meeting, and the paper noted one topic covered was Journey in Automobiles.
I mentioned that, as a way to help us reflect on how far our club has come. That 111 years ago, our club founders sat in a room full of ideas and potential. Talking about, among other things, automobiles, which at that point were transitioning from novelty to practical transportation.
The world has changed so much since then. But whatever change is going on around us, be it around the world, across the nation, or right here in our own backyard, one thing has remained consistent. The Rotary Club of Kankakee was founded by friends and community leaders, people who took action to make a difference. Our club has maintained that spirit, welcoming members with diverse backgrounds and roles in the community, constantly working to make a positive impact and fostering lifelong friendships.
July 2026 – Amy Laws
