Rotary International is a non-profit, international service organization that brings together professional and business leaders to exchange ideas and provide humanitarian services. It was founded in 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney, and three of his friends: Silvester Schiele, a Chicago coal dealer, Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer, and Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor.  They held regular weekly meetings and the members created strong ties with each other.  As of 2017 Rotary International has more than 1.2 million members, known as Rotarians, in over two hundred countries and territories, with 34,282 service clubs worldwide.