The Rotary Club of Whittier, California, No. 859, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Los Angeles and was chartered by Rotary International on October 17, 1922. Paul Denninger was elected as the Club's first President by the 23 chartering members. Our current roster exceeds 60 active members.

The Rotary Club of Whittier has sponsored three other Clubs and those Clubs have sponsored five additonal Clubs. The Rotary Club of Whittier is proud to salute our own members who have become District Governors of Rotary: Herbert Harris, Johnie B. Reilly, Dee C. Essley, and Karl B. Schwab. A fifth Whittier Club member, Earl B. Myer, also served as a District Governor, but was a member of the Norwalk Club at the time. In addition to District Governor, Johnie B. Reilly served as a Director of Rotray International for the years 1943-45.

The Fourth Object of Rotary, the Advancement of International Understanding, Good Will, and Peace throughout the World was first suggested by Rotary International President Everett Hill in 1924-25. Our own Whittier Rotarian Herbert E. Harris, a Quaker, teaching at Whittier College (a Quaker school) , began an exhausting four year campaign to get the proposal accepted. Finally, at the 1928 International convention in Dallas, he addressed the convention of delegates. The convention amended the by-laws to provide for an International Service Committee. Herb Harris became the first Chairman of the International Service Committee.

Over the years the Rotary Club of Whittier has been supporting community and youth projects as well as international projects. Our prime focus now is our Annual High School Senior All Star Baseball and Softball tournament involving more than a dozen high schools in our region of Los Angeles County.