Today is an important day in Rotary history. It was on this day in…

by | May 4, 2020 | Rotary Club News | 0 comments

Today is an important day in Rotary history. It was on this day in 1987 that the US Supreme Court ruled that Rotary clubs may not exclude women from membership on the basis of gender. The story started in 1976 when the Rotary Club of Duarte in California admitted three women to membership. When the club refused to remove the women from membership, Rotary International revoked the club’s charter. The club filed a lawsuit and the case wound its way through the US court system, eventually getting to the US Supreme Court. After the decision was handed down, Rotary’s lawyer stated that allowing women into Rotary “threatens to force us to take in everyone, like a motel.” While Rotary International did not officially change its rules until 1989, the US Supreme Court’s May 4, 1987 decision is an important milestone for women in Rotary.


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