The Kiwanis Story: A Legacy of Service and Fellowship
Origins and Growth
Founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, Kiwanis began as a networking and insurance club for young professionals. Co-founders Allen S. Browne and Joseph C. Prance soon shifted the focus to community service. The name “Kiwanis” was inspired by a Native American phrase meaning “we have a good time, we make noise.”
By mid-1915, Kiwanis expanded to Cleveland, and its mission evolved to emphasize service over business networking. The first major service project—a nursery school for underprivileged children—set the tone for Kiwanis’ future. In 1920, the motto “We Build” was adopted, later updated in 2005 to “Serving the Children of the World.”
Headquarters and Expansion
Initially, Kiwanis operated without a central office. As it grew, a headquarters was established in Chicago in 1918, moving several times before settling in Indianapolis in 1982. Today, Kiwanis operates worldwide, with clubs in nearly every country, uniting members in community service.
Kiwanis Today
Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to serving children and communities. Members volunteer for hands-on projects, fundraise for essential causes, and sponsor youth programs like Key Club and Circle K. Partnering with UNICEF, Kiwanis has worked to eliminate iodine deficiency and other global health issues.
Being a Kiwanian means making a tangible impact while building lifelong friendships. Through service and fellowship, members continue to improve lives—one project at a time.
Kiwanis Club of Middletown, Ohio
Chartered on July 20, 1926, the Kiwanis Club of Middletown was the 77th club formed that year. Over the decades, it has seen leadership passed among families, including fathers and sons, spouses, and twin sisters, with many members serving as Lieutenant Governors.
Past Presidents – Kiwanis Club of Middletown, Ohio
1926 C.W. Elliot
1927 H.W. Naegele
1928 A.R. Harvey
1929 I.J. Long
1930 Roy Clark
1931 Harry K. Moore
1932 J.W. Vogler
1933 R.M. Pierson
1934 George White
1935 W.S. Wilmer, Sr.
1936 R.R. Snyder
1937 E. McCall Morris
1938 Fenton W. Chew
1939 Harry W. Lewis
1940 Ray E. Sebald
1941 H.K. Jong
1942 E.J. Goldschmidt Jr.
1943 R.L. Davidson
1944 S.G. Murstein
1945 L.P. Smith
1946 George E. Brooks
1947 R.F. Pieters
1948 Howard A. Murray
1949 William J. Saunders Sr.
1950 Floyd H. Starr
1951 Arthur F. Hauselman
1952 Glenn Durrell
1953 Al Decatur Sr.
1954 Ralph Grimes
1955 Julius A. McIntosh
1956 Howard H. Hoffman
1957 Edward Hammon
1958 George M. Guynn
1959 Frank T. Shinn
1960 Gilbert Wagoner
1961 Russell L. Elker
1962 Robert Cordray
1963 Norman Kerr
1964 Robert G. Turkey
1965 Frederick R. Storck
1966 Robert T. Gray, Jr.
1967 E. Edmond Kaptein
1968 Bill K. Parnell
1969 David T. Morgan
1970 Robert R. Wells
1971 Thomas E. Light
1972 Howard L. Torstveit
1973 Donald E. Titus
1974 William Wilmer Jr.
1975 Richard L. Leroy
1976 E. Ronald Oches
1977 Douglas M. Carroll
1978 Charles Sutter
1979 Fred Tyson
1980 C.E. Hattery
1981 Steven F. Dobrozsi
1982 Dale Hufziger
1983 Ralph Evans
1984 S. Alvin Bell
1985 John D. Webster
1986 Steven L. Rogers
1987 James A. Combs
1988 Thomas A. Hall
1989 John W. Schraffenberger
1990 J.C. Shew
1991 Randel L. Jones
1992 Richard S. Morgan
1993 Ronald L. Alfrey
1994 Israel W. Hughes
1995 Bruce Fassler
1996 Martha R. Evans
1997 Jeffrey A. Mitchell
1998 William D. Brinkley
1999 Bonnie B. Riesbeck
2000 Dave Lockmeyer
2001 Ben Fletcher
2002 Robert R. Wells
2003 E. Ronald Oches
2004 Henrietta Nye
2005 Stephen F. Dobrozsi
2006 John D. Webster
2007 Don Perander
2008 Betty Wolfe
2009 Larry Curless
2010 William McCall
2011 Tammy Robert
2012 Duane Gordon
2013 Daniel Dobrozsi
2014 J.C. Shew
2015 Matthew Dixon
2016 Marla Marsh
2017 Matthew Dixon
2018 Matthew Dixon
2019 Henrietta Nye
2020 Marla Marsh
2021 Marla Marsh
2022 Anita Shew
2023 Monica Marsh
2024 Marla Marsh
Hixson Award Recipients – Kiwanis Club of Middletown, Ohio
History
The Kiwanis Story: A Legacy of Service and Fellowship
Origins and Growth
Founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, Kiwanis began as a networking and insurance club for young professionals. Co-founders Allen S. Browne and Joseph C. Prance soon shifted the focus to community service. The name “Kiwanis” was inspired by a Native American phrase meaning “we have a good time, we make noise.”
By mid-1915, Kiwanis expanded to Cleveland, and its mission evolved to emphasize service over business networking. The first major service project—a nursery school for underprivileged children—set the tone for Kiwanis’ future. In 1920, the motto “We Build” was adopted, later updated in 2005 to “Serving the Children of the World.”
Headquarters and Expansion
Initially, Kiwanis operated without a central office. As it grew, a headquarters was established in Chicago in 1918, moving several times before settling in Indianapolis in 1982. Today, Kiwanis operates worldwide, with clubs in nearly every country, uniting members in community service.
Kiwanis Today
Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to serving children and communities. Members volunteer for hands-on projects, fundraise for essential causes, and sponsor youth programs like Key Club and Circle K. Partnering with UNICEF, Kiwanis has worked to eliminate iodine deficiency and other global health issues.
Being a Kiwanian means making a tangible impact while building lifelong friendships. Through service and fellowship, members continue to improve lives—one project at a time.
Kiwanis Club of Middletown, Ohio
Chartered on July 20, 1926, the Kiwanis Club of Middletown was the 77th club formed that year. Over the decades, it has seen leadership passed among families, including fathers and sons, spouses, and twin sisters, with many members serving as Lieutenant Governors.
Past Presidents – Kiwanis Club of Middletown, Ohio
Hixson Award Recipients – Kiwanis Club of Middletown, Ohio
*Deceased