The Rotary Club of Birmingham is where leaders connect, where leaders serve, where transformational projects are born, and where Birmingham meets the world.  Founded in 1913, we are one of the largest Rotary clubs in the world. We play a leading role in eliminating polio worldwide, expanding access to Pre-K in Birmingham, and enhancing cancer treatment and prevention in Sri Lanka. Rotary Trail, our centennial gift to Birmingham, is a signature attraction downtown. For more than 100 years, we have been bringing together civic leaders in our community to learn, exchange ideas, and take action to solve critical community problems in Birmingham and beyond. We engage our members to improve the community through service, education and fellowship. 

We are part of Rotary International, which brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 36,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. 

Our Club was founded on February 6, 1913, after architect Harry B. Wheelock learned of Rotary while visiting his brother in Denver. We became Club 56 with 32 members and 5 officers. Early outreach efforts resulted in the establishment of clubs in Atlanta, Montgomery, Nashville, Memphis, Savannah, Macon, Tampa, Mobile, Augusta, Selma, Ensley and Bessemer.  We have led the Rotary world in international service through Rotary International Presidents Frank Spain and Roy Hickman, as well as Les Wright's chairmanship of one of the greatest humanitarian achievements in world history, the Polio Plus Campaign. In 1986, the Club, through members John Harbert and Hall Thompson, led in building the Harbert Center where we meet now. Rotarians strive to promote the ideal of service in our own personal, business, and community lives in accordance with the Rotary motto: “Service Above Self.”