Rotary Club of Manila

The founding of the Rotary Club of Manila

The founding officers

• Leon J. Lambert: Sergeant, 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War. Owner of Lambert Sales Co. and other businesses. Philippine delegate to Democratic National Convention, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932. Honorary Vice-President, Democratic Party, 1912. Member, Committee on Rules and Order of Business, Democratic Party, 1912. Member, Platform and Resolutions Committee, Democratic Party, 1924.
• Alfonso Sycip / Xue Fenshi : The one Chinese RCM charter member. Chairman, Philippine Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, 1934–41.
• Edwin Emil Elser : Arrived in Manila in 1901 as agent of E.C. McCullough & Co. Became the leader in the Philippine insurance business, and an officer in some 20 companies and the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands. Rotary Club of Manila President, 1922–23. Member, Philippine Council of National Defense. Grand Master, Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands, . Philippine alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention, 1920, 1936. Brother of Manila businessman Henry W. Elser. As Rotary Club of Manila President in 1922, E. E. Elser wrote to the BSA regarding the possibility of organizing a Boy Scout Council in Manila. This resulted in the establishment of the Boy Scouts of America Philippine Islands Council.
• Alfa Walter Beam : Arrived in the Philippines in 1902 to take up assignment at Post Office. Later became President of Benguet Consolidated Mining Company.
• Fred Neal Berry : Arrived in the Philippines in 1898; served in the Spanish–American War. Clerk, Records Division, Civil Service of the Philippine Islands, 1904. Became agent of Procter and Gamble.
• Gregorio Nieva y Morente : Editor and publisher, The Philippine Review, 1916–21. One of the two Filipino charter members of the RCM, the other being Gabriel Lao.
• James Geary: Manager, Castle Bros., Wolf & Sons.