For 83 years, the Aliceville Rotary Club has been a service organization which has been a positive civic force in our community.

Rotary International issued a charter to The Aliceville Rotary Club on Feb. 12, 1925, with 18 charter members. Its officers were President Robert J. Kirksey; Vice President Dr. Charles M. Murphy; Secretary J. Verner Park; Treasurer W. Chalmers Summerville; Sergeant at Arms Robert L. Chappell. The above officers served as directors along with George N. Downer Sr., W. Buntin Stringfellow and Carter H. Witt Jr.

Other charter members were J.G. Adams, Charles R. Horton, Rev. Colon T. Hill, Wallace S. Kirksey, Edwin Moody, J. Murphy Summerville, R. M. Spaulding, J. Spann Shaw, F. Holmes Sanders, and B. Hughes Somerville. The Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa was the sponsor of the new club. Additional members in the early years of the club were: Dr. Wallace W. Duncan, C. S. Stirling, Sr., A. Bunion Compton, J. R. Long, Sam Wise, Edgar E. Sanders, Coley Powell, B. L. Meeks, Dr. J. V. Sullivan, Jack M. Pratt, John S. Somerville Jr. F. D. Stabler, Earl Rambo and Cliff Harkins.

At first, the club met at 1 p.m. on Thursdays. The meeting was changed to a Tuesday evening supper meeting at The Aliceville Hotel. Other meeting places in later years were the Civic Room, upstairs over the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, where meals were served by the D. T. Cafe. Then, for some years, the club met at Gates Restaurant and later at The Plantation House. In recent years, the meeting has been in the Rotary Room at the Aliceville Civic Center with meals provided by Piggly Wiggly.

One member of the club, James Verner Park Jr., was honored by being elected as the District Governor of Rotary District 6860 for the year 1966-67. He had served as President of the club in 1947. F. Holmes Sanders was honored by the club, having been elected as its President on four occasions: 1928, 1932, 1935 and 1946.

The Aliceville Rotary Club has been a leading civic force in the community throughout its lifetime. In its early years its members played key roles in such community activities as: the securing of the John T. Milner Bridge over the Tombigbee River at Cochrane in 1926, the welcoming of the Frisco Lines to Aliceville in 1928; the inducement of Alabama Mills to build the Aliceville Cotton Mill, in 1926; organizing and supporting a local Chamber of Commerce; providing leadership for Aliceville's Golden Jubilee in 1952, the celebration of the town's 50th anniversary.

The club has sponsored local education and athletics. For many years, a club project involved transporting out-of-town boys to their homes following football practice. In January 1935, the club sponsored a banquet at The Aliceville Hotel, honoring the University of Alabama's undefeated 1934 football team, which has just defeated Stanford in the Rose Bowl by a score of 29-13. Included on that squad were the well known sports figures Paul "Bear" Bryant, Dixie Howell and Don Hutson.

When the old elementary school building was being restored, the Rotary Club played a leading role in the effort. A large meeting room was developed through the club's efforts and bears the name, "Rotary Room." In recent years, the club has made a major commitment to support to The Aliceville Museum. This pledge had been made possible through the club's sponsorship of a rodeo. In the first three years of the rodeo, over $20,000 was raised for community projects with half of that going to the museum commitment.

It has been said that the 1925 founders of the club believed that someday their town would be as large as Chicago. That dream might not have been fulfilled, but the club historically served as a catalyst for worthwhile community developments. Today, the club continues to serve the community with a positive and enthusiastic outlook for the future of its own.

Those who have served the club in the office of President are as follows: R. J. Kirksey, 1925; Rev. Solon T. Hill, 1926, C. S. Stirling Sr., 1927; F. Holmes Sanders, 1928; B. L. Meeks, 1929; A. L. Branscomb, 1930; John A. Somerville Jr., 1931 ; F. Holmes Sanders, 1932; R. J. Kirksey, 1933; Rev. R. F. Sloop, 1934; F. Holmes Sanders, 1935; L. B. Brophy, 1936; J. C. Williams, 1937; D. E. Day, 1938; D. E. Hale, 1939; C. H. Kline, 1940; Gerald Stabler, 1941; G. N. Downer Sr., 1942; W. C. Martin Sr., 1943; J. W. Cox, 1944; C. S. Stirling Sr., 1945; F. Holmes Sanders, 1946; J. V. Park Jr., 1947; D. E. Hyames, 1948; Clifton Gregory, 1949; W. C. Martin Jr., 1950; W. W. Ramsey, 1951; Dr. H. R. Pepper, 1952; R. H. Kirksey, 1953; Dr. R. K. Wilson, 1954; J. L. Dockery, 1955; Dr. J. H. Gentry, 1956; J. S. Park, 1957; Dr. M. E. Garner, 1958; Charles LaDow, 1959; J. Paul Watts, 1960; Ralph Windle, 1961; James S. Somerville, 1962; Harry Wheat, 1963; James O. Turnipseed, 1964; Rev. P. Joe Whitt, 1965; Burdette McKinstry Jr.; 1966: A. Dean Lewis, 1967; Sam McPherson, 1968; W. R. McKinzey Jr., 1969; Henry Peace, 1970; Ralph W. Holliman, 1971; Marvin J. Spiller, 1972; Carl Chandler, 1973; Wayne H. Martin, 1974; C. S. Stirling Jr., 1975; Donald W. Sanders, 1976; Rev. Thomas G. Kay Sr., 1977; Phillip Jones, 1978; Vernon Waddy, 1979; Stirling Rainer, 1980; Dr. J. Emmett Gunnells, 1981; Denton Goodwin, 1082; Felix Pugliese, 1983; Charles A. Davis, 1984; J. V. "Jim" Park III, 1985; Bill Dyess, 1986; Dale Moore, 1987; David B. King, 1988; Alan Harper, 1989; John A. Russell, 1990; William D. King IV, 1991; J. V. "Bud" Blakney, 1992; Rev. James H. Cooley, 1993; John E. Paluzzi, 1994; Ronnie Snelgrove, 1995; Robert E. Eubank, 1996; Rev. Thomas G. Kay Jr, 1997; Billy Joe Reese, 1998; C. Irvin Eatman III, 1999; J. T. Junkins Jr., 2000-2001; Larry Gibson, 2001-2002; Patti Presley-Fuller, 2002-2003; Mary Bess Paluzzi, 2003-2004; Mark Gilliam, 2004-2005; Jerry Cockrell, 2005-2006; Kathy Marine, 2006-2007; Randy Coshatt, 2007-2008; and James Owens, 2008-present.

Multiple generations of families have served the club as President. One family has served as President of the club for three generations, J. Verner Park Sr., James Verner Park Jr. and J.V. "Jim" Park III. There have been four fathers and sons to serve as President of the club: R. J. and R. H. Kirksey; C. S. Stirling Sr. and Jr.; W. C. Martin Sr. and Jr. and Revs. T. G. Kay Sr. and Jr.; and one father and daughter, R. H. Kirksey and Mary Bess Kirksey Paluzzi.