Through The Years.....
1919 saw the convening of the Paris Peace Conference; the signing of the Versailles Treaty by the Allies and Germany; the advent of Prohibition; the beginning of Mahatma Gandi's nonviolent resisted movement against British rule in India; babe Ruth is sold to the New York Yankees igniting baseball's Golden Age; and the Bridgeport Rotary Club is born with Sumner Simpson serving as the Club's first chartered President. Within that first year, the Club purchased property on Lake Zoar and gave it to the Boy Scout Council to establish Camp Pomperaug... the concept of "service above self" had been set forth.
20's. The Roaring Twenties- General Electric moves to Bridgeport occupying the enormous Remington Arms plant; the stunning and lavish Palace and Majestic Theaters built by entertainment king Silvester Poli open in 22'; Reads Department Store becomes a presence on Broad and John Streets; the Bridgeport Public Library moves to a new location in the Burroughs Building, opens the Henry Sanborn Branch, creates the Library caravan at Seaside Village to sign up children for Library cards; the US stock market crashes; the Bridgeport Rotary Club sponsors a new District Club in Danbury; past Club President Albert Lavery is elected to the position of District Governor; in 1927, the Club serves as sponsor for the chartering of the Jr. College of Connecticut. The brain child of Rotarian Everett Cortright, the College would later become the University of Bridgeport in 1947. Rotarians Jim Halsey, Henry Littlefield, Ed Eigel and Richard Rubenstein all served as past Presidents of the University, while Rotarian Neil Salonen currently holds that honor. As the years passed, the Club would also play key roles in the founding of the Bridgeport Engineering Institute and Housatonic Community and Technical College.

30's. The 1930's brought the Great Depression. Hard times became harder. Bridgeport was fortunate in that its major industries did not close. Only two banks failed, the American Bank and the Commercial Bank and Trust Company. With a depressed economy and no solution in sight, a remarkable shift of political allegiance took place - the voters rejected both the Democratic and Republican machines and elected Socialist Jasper McLevy as Mayor in 1933. He would serve as Mayor for 24 years. Industrial Bridgeport gained the reputation as a place where things could be designed and built well. The city did attract technical genius. Skilled labor, especially in the machine tool field, was available to put that genius into manufacturing of a limitless list of products. The Bridgeport Rotary Club was also busy. During the early thirties extensive efforts were made on behalf of children with disabilities. Braces were provided; hospital stays were financed; Christmas parties arranged. In 1932, past Club President Sumner Simpson purchased the Grippen Home at 85 Park Avenue. With improvements financed by the Club, the Work Shop for Occupational Therapy was created. This was the beginning of the Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center. 1935 saw the birth of the Park City Rotary News. Predecessors of the Nutmeg, its first issue was published September 10th. 1935 also saw past Bridgeport Rotary President Erwin Jennings elected District Governor. In 1939, Bridgeport Rotary sponsored a new District Club in Newtown.