The history for the Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, and U.S.A. has been compiled from previously written histories and chronologies which can be found in the Welcome section of the Home Page.   For the most part, the wording of these previously written histories have been used verbatim except for the insertion of additional information found elsewhere, obvious errors, and annotations by Historian 2009.

No information could be found in the history file about financial information, avenues of service committees, committee members, or donations.  There were no newsletters, Blastoffs, however, the listing of Club Programs and Special Events noted 16 programs. 

There were 2 Board meeting minutes.  The July 1, 1966 Semiannual Report of Club Membership noted a membership of 68 active members and 4 honorary members.  The  Club's Roster   is based on the January 1, 1966 Semiannual Report of Club Membership.  The Club  continued to meet at the Kings Inn.

Waymond Armstrong, a member of the La Porte club that sponsored SCR (Space Center Rotary) was quoted in The Rotarian, May 1966: The Reach for the Moon.  "It's the strangest Rotary Club in the world - and it has one of the strangest classifications.  If anything sets the club apart, it is the members themselves.  A recent sampling showed that their average age is 43, nine years younger than the average Rotarian worldwide; at least 95 per cent (30 percent more than Rotarians generally) have college education, many holding advanced degrees; 22 per cent now hold or have held pilots' licenses (about 15 percent more than the average for all Rotarians)."  Articles also appeared in two other Rotarian issues ("Club in Countdown Country, Oct. 1961 and "Building Tomorrow's Spaceport, Nov. 1964.  (The 1961 date cannot be right, but in talking to Rotary International they do not keep back copies of The Rotarian!!!)  That plus the worldwide excitement of the space program itself has made the club known worldwide.

The fame of the Space Center Rotary Club continued to spread during 1966 as Astronaut Gordon Cooper addressed the Rotary International Convention in Denver, Colorado.  The Space Center Rotary Club was featured in an article in the May, 1966 issue of the Rotarian.   (Historian 2009:  A note from President McKinnie in May of 2010 regarding the article follows: 

"Space Center’s Lost Article Recovered
It has been long rumored that Rotary International published an article many years ago about the early stages of manned space exploration and its close association with Space Center Rotary Club. But even Rotary International didn't have a copy. We are thrilled that the article has been recovered.  President Jon McKinnie (2009-10)  was fortunate enough to start working on the coming Rotary year with Linda Caruso, incoming District 5890 Secretary, whose friend's father (Bernard Sarahan) (last page) was a Space Center Rotary Club founding member, who had kept the magazine and article.  A few weeks ago, President McKinnie was honored to be given the original magazine, published in May 1966, which extolled the formative stages of space exploration and its' close association with Space Center Rotary Club.
President McKinnie states, "Just reinstates why I am truly honored to have serviced as President of the
magically named "Space Center" Rotary Club.""

The following honorary members were accepted into the club:
Frank Borman - Astronaut, Apollo 8
Gordon Cooper - Astronaut, Mercury 9 & Gemini 5
William Parker - NASA/MSC Government Agent
Dr. Charles Berry - NASA/MSC Space Medical

Ellis Bareiss - Member of Pasadena Rotary, Membership also  included a resolution in appreciation of his efforts in the organization of Space Center Club

A  letter and associated documents dated November 17, 1965 from George R. Means, General Secretary, R. I. on the subject “Organization of Interact Club Outside Territorial Limits of Sponsoring Club”  noted the following decision: “the Board (Board of Directors of R. I.), the general secretary acting in its behalf, authorizes the Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, U.S.A., to organize an Interact Club in Clear Creek High School located outside, but in territory adjacent to, the territorial limits of the Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, U.S.A.”.

(Historian 2009: A letter dated February 9, 1981 noted that the Rotary International Space Center Chapter Rotary Club is exempt from Federal income tax under Group Ruling No. 0573, section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.  This exemption was granted August 1965 and remains in full force and effect.)