— The first Rotary Club was organized in Chicago in 1905 and took the name “Rotary” because its meetings rotated among the offices of all the club members. Muskogee chartered its Rotary Club in November 1913. It was the 87th club to be formed in the international organization. Stanley Shelor, a local businessman, was instrumental in starting Muskogee’s Rotary, and he was its first president. The club initially met on Thursdays at the Severs Hotel.

Rotary Clubs in Oklahoma were a part of District 17, which included Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. In 1922, Muskogee was chosen to be the host city for a district conference. Clubs from Arkansas also were invited. Nearly 10,000 Rotarians attended the three-day conference, March 30 through April 1. The largest district Rotary conference ever at that time, it nearly doubled Muskogee’s population.

The citizens of Muskogee pulled out all the stops to welcome their guests. Because the city had no building large enough for the crowd, one was created at Athletic Field between Fourth streets and Fifth on Boston Street (where the Civic Center now stands). The bleachers were enclosed, and a roof and additional seating were extended out to the pitcher’s mound. It was called Rotary Hall and remained standing just until the baseball season began that spring.

Brightly colored banners waved from every corner, proclaiming “Welcome Rotarians.” Every hotel room in the region was booked, and still there were not enough rooms to accommodate all the guests.

Private citizens opened their homes to Rotarians, and the Katy Railroad brought in 150 Pullman sleeper cars and parked them on side tracks near the downtown depot. Everyone in Muskogee who owned an automobile was solicited as a volunteer to drive visitors around town beginning at 6:30 each morning.

Boy Scouts were stationed on downtown corners to provide directions or other assistance to the guests. The Girl Scouts packed 15,000 sacks of confetti and took to the streets to hand them out to visitors.

Oklahoma Gov. James Robertson welcomed representatives of 82 Rotary clubs as they gathered in Rotary Hall. U.S. Rep. Alice Robertson called from Washington to welcome the visitors to her city. The keynote speaker of the conference was W.B. Storey, the president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

The host club organized a huge Mardi Gras festival at the fairgrounds for their guests. Many of the visiting clubs brought their own bands and participated in a parade and musical events for the Mardi Gras. The conference brought national media to the city, and Muskogee made the newsreels shown at movie theaters around the country.

The 1922 Rotary conference was one of the biggest events the city ever had. Its success can be attributed to the friendliness that has always been a hallmark of Muskogee. Citizens rallied together in a spirit of pride and unity and a wonderful display of hospitality and goodwill.

Reach Jonita Mullins at jonita.mullins@gmail.com.