Rotary Leadership
In 1925, the Rotary Club of Youngstown and its members began a tradition of leadership in the Rotary movement when Leonard Skeggs was elected Governor of then-District 21. He set an outstanding record by instituting 26 new Rotary Clubs in the District in one year, a record unsurpassed in the country at that time. Later he became a director of Rotary International and was chairman of the committee responsible for re-writing the Classification Outline Manual of Rotary International. In 1941, Rev. Roland Luhman was the second Youngstown Rotarian to be elected District Governor.
On April 29, 1946, Attorney Robert A. Manchester II was elected Governor of then-District 158. Bob went on to be chairman of the Rotary International Youth Committee in 1947. At the Rotary International Convention in Paris, France, in 1952, he was elected a director of Rotary International, representing Zone No. II and covering parts of ten states. Bob Manchester’s Rotary International career culminated with his election as President for the 1976-1977 year. Other Youngstown Rotarians who served as District Governors were Fred Lyons (1961-1962), Herbert O. Zimmer (1971-1972), Jerold A. Haber (1998-1999), Deborah Esbenshade (2013-2014), and Scott Schulick (2018-2019).
The impact of the Rotary Club of Youngstown is beyond measure. Year after year, our Club has been at the forefront of positive measures to improve the quality of life in our local community, and worldwide through generous support of Rotary International’s many initiatives. “Service Above Self” was, is and always will be the watchwords of Youngstown Rotarians.