Milestones
2021
  • Mary Liu becomes the first Asian-American President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco.
2020
  • The Club is one of the first Rotary Clubs in the world to successfully pivot to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting to virtual meetings and reinventing our local service projects.
2017
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco is recognized as one of the first Rotary Clubs in the world whose members have donated $2,000,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
2016
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors a Rotaract Club at the University of San Francisco.
2015
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors an Interact Club at Washington High School.
2014
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco becomes the lead organizer for District 5150's participation in the Italian Heritage Parade, the oldest public event in San Francisco. Rotary is now the largest group participating in the event, with Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors all carrying the flags of the countries where Rotary has a presence.
2012
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors an Interact Club at Lowell High School.
2010
  • The Club sponsors its first Bike Build. We have assembled brand new bicycles for hundreds of children who receive them free of charge, along with riding lessons, helmets, and locks.
2008
  • The Club celebrates its Centennial with a major series of events, including a black tie dinner attended by the President of Rotary International and dedication of new gymnasium at the renovated Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco's Mission District.
2005
  • San Francisco Rotary Meadow, atop Mt. Sutro is dedicated to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
2004
  • A group of members, led by Anita Stangl, founds Alliance for Smiles.
2000
  • Kathleen Beavers becomes the first woman to be President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco.
1998
  • Boeddeker Park reopens, with help from the revitalization project of the Rotary Club of San Francisco.
1994
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors its first Interact Club at Archbishop Riordon High School.
1993
  • Member Kay Clarke is the first woman to receive Rotary International's "Service Above Self" award.
1992
  • Rotaplast International is founded by Club President Peter Lagarias and member Angelo Capozzi, MD.
1988
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors its first Academic Decathlon, a program that continues for ten years.
1987
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors the first local extension club: the Rotary Club of San Francisco West).
  • Women are admitted to the Rotary Club of San Francisco.
1985
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors the first Camp Enterprise, now known as RYLA.
1959
  • The San Francisco Rotary Foundation is established.
1945
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco is the host organization for the many Rotarians participating as delegates to the conference that forms the United Nations.
1930
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco opens Camp Marwedel (now Camp Mendocino). In 1942 this camp is donated to the Boys Club.
1926
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco forms the California Society for Crippled Children, now known as the Easter Seals.
1924
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco begins to sponsor the Boys Club (now the Boys and Girls Club).
1923
  • The San Francisco Boys Club (now the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club) is chartered; three-quarters of its officers are Rotary members. Rotary helps create branches in Visitacion Valley and Telegraph Hill.
1915
  • San Francisco Rotarians support and participate in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. | The Sixth Rotary Convention is held in San Francisco.
1911
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors the first club outside of the United States in Dublin, Ireland.
1910
  • All sixteen existing Rotary Clubs participate in the first convention of the National Association of Rotary Clubs of America (now Rotary International) in Chicago.
1909
  • The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors the next four Rotary Clubs to form: Oakland, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.
1908
  • Under the leadership of Homer Wood, the Rotary Club of San Francisco has its founding dinner.
1906
  • San Francisco's Great Earthquake and Fire
1905
  • Paul Harris founds the first Rotary Club in Chicago