our club history

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The Rotary Club of Latrobe was established on May 1, 1921, when 24 of the community's leading citizens came together to form the club. The club's first meeting was held on May 15, 1921, at the Hotel Miller, located at the corner of Ligonier and Depot Street.  Sixteen members attended that inaugural meeting, along with four visitors from the Rotary Club of Greensburg, which sponsored Latrobe’s new club. The visitors from Greensburg gave brief presentations, outlining their club’s procedures and practices.

Though the club's official charter date was May 1, 1921, the formal presentation of Charter Number 965 to the Rotary Club of Latrobe didn’t occur until July 11, 1921.

During its first year, the Rotary Club of Latrobe did not have a regular meeting site. Members took turns hosting meetings, often arranging the location and even preparing meals with the help of other volunteers. By the end of 1921, however, the club began meeting more regularly at the Plaza Hotel on Main Street. In 1924, they moved to the Hines Hotel, where the Latrobe Municipal Building now stands, at the corner of Jefferson and Main Street. 

From 1928 to 1939, the club met at the American Legion Home, which was located where the Adams Memorial Library stands today at the corner of Ligonier and Chestnut Streets. Occasionally, meetings were held at alternative locations like the Masonic Hall dining room or Hotel Miller.

From 1939 until 1962, the Rotary Club of Latrobe held its meetings at the Latrobe Country Club, with a brief interruption during World War II due to gas rationing. For a short time in 1943, the club relocated to Hotel Formally to accommodate members who needed a meeting site within walking distance of their workplaces in town.

In 1962, meetings moved to the Sons of Italy Social Club at the corner of Thompson and Jefferson Streets. After the Sons of Italy closed, the club held meetings at DiSalvo's Station briefly, and later at the Latrobe Elks Club.

Today, the Rotary Club of Latrobe meets every Wednesday at DeNunzio’s at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Special programs and events are occasionally held at other locations, but the regular lunch meetings are full of camaraderie and feature special guest speakers who discuss philanthropic endeavors and community initiatives.

Fellowship was the inspiration behind Rotary’s founding by Paul Harris, and it remains one of the club’s defining characteristics. The club believes that true fellowship stems from a shared commitment to meaningful goals, mutual respect, and collective effort. This is why the club’s constitution requires regular attendance at meetings for active participation