Club history

In January 1915, professional organizer Allen Browne founded the first Kiwanis group. Originally named "The Benevolent Order of Brothers," the purpose of the organization was the mutual exchange of preferred treatment in professional and business dealings. Within a year, the name had been changed to "Kiwanis", taken from a native American term "Nun Keewanis" which means roughly "Self-Expression." The organization changed its purpose to "community service" a humanitarian concept from which Kiwanis has never deviated.

At the suggestion of the Chicago Club, Kiwanis International sent an organizer to the Kankakee area in the Fall of 1919, who met with Dr. E. L. Longpre, J. Bert Miller and Wayne Dyer, Sr. With these three men forming the nucleus of the Kiwanis Club of Kankakee, a charter group of 56 men signed up. Issued December 27, 1919, the charter was presented in February 1920, the 188th club chartered. J. Bert Miller served as the club's first president.

In the pioneering days of Kiwanis, club members met in the elegantly furnished Hotel LaFayette Bar, 200 block of South Schuyler Avenue. Later, the club moved to McBroom's Restaurant, 100 block of North Schuyler. Then, for many years, the club met in the Gold Room at the Hotel Kankakee at Merchant & Schuyler. When that hotel closed in 1984, the club moved to the Redwood Inn, Route 49 & Interstate 57, Kankakee, until that restaurant closed in 2001. Then the club met at the Warming House of Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais until 2003, then meeting at Quality Inn, Bradley, then meetings at Tucci's Restaurant, Route 50, Bradley until March of 2019 to present placed COVID 19 pandemic restrictions upon group meetings, when all club meetings went to virtual online meetings until restrictions are released. Since that time, our Club has continued to meet at various local venues in our county, including Rigo's Restaurant and currently Kankakee Community College

presidents of Kiwanis club of kankakee

1920 J. Bert Miller*

1921 Dr. J. H. Roth*

1922 Rev. R. E. Carr*

1923 Arthur E. Gray*

1924 Warren R. Hickox*

1925 Dr. C. R. Lockwood*

1925 William A. Schneider*

1926 Eben B. Gower*

1927 Phillip T. Lambert*

1928 Dr. E. L. Longpre*

1929 Fred H. Burkett*

1930 Ralph E. Francis*

1931 Romy J. Hammes*

1932 Amos R. Beard*

1933 E. Munroe Curtis*

1934 James G. Ginger*

1935 Donald Gray*

1936 Arthur L. Beckman*

1937 Vernon McBroom*

1938 J. E. Robertson*

1939 R. Y. Allison*

1940 C. A. Rollison*

1941 Roy Strasma*

1942 Vernon Butz*

1943 Edward J. Strasma*

1944 Ruel Hall*

1945 Maurice Holohan*

1946 Dr. George E. Irwin*

1947 Paul G. Diamond*

1948 Fred C. Hefter*

1949 Paul R. Branch*

1950 E. P. Bergeron*

1951 Sidney Fousie*

1952 Herman W. Snow*

*Deceased

1953 Charles A. Mueller*

1954 R. M. Jeffries*

1955 Fred R. Stith*

1956 Minott Silliman, Jr.*

1957 Donald E. Cooper *

1958 Dr. Harry A. Hartman*

1959 Humphrey Christensen*

1960 Dr. Edwin Hamilton*

1961 Henry W. Wulffe*

1962 Dr. Russell Rogers*

1963 Charles H. Stinson*

1964 Lloyd D. Graham*

1965 Walter J. Charlton*

1966 Frederick R. Meyer*

1967 Ray O. Speckman*

1968 George T. Swaim, Jr.*

1969 Don R. Frank*

1969/70 John C. Martin

1970/71 James G. Schneider*

1971/72 Charles C. Huber*

1972/73 Leo E. Phillips*

1973/74 John R. Tate*

1974/75 Claire Hendrix*

1975/76 Richard L. Witt*

1976/77 R. Gene Mitchell*

1977/78 R. Thomas Zwetschke*

1978/79 Norman E. Strasma

1979/80 Ronald R. Rieken*

1980/81 William R. Dyon*

1981/82 Paul F. Blanke*

1982/83 Wesley E. Walker*

1983/84 Bruce W. Payne

1984/85 Dennis C. Hess

1985/86 J. Scott Swaim*

1986/87 F. Franklyn Wise*

1987/88 Donald E. Gallois

1988/89 Phillip L. Ribbe

1989/90 David H. Schroeder*

1990/91 Walter H. Volkmann*

1991/92 Armond LaMontagne

1992/93 LeRoy Wright*

1993/94 Gary Wright

1994/95 Charles H. Smith

1995/96 Marshall R. Dusenbury

1996/97 William E. Herzog

1997/98 Bruce Clark

1998/99 Charlene Dybedock*

1999/00 Terry Johnston*

2000/01 Larry Linman

2001/02 Jerrold Jurina

2002/03 Phil Angelo

2003/04 Bruce Matthews

2004/05 Kay Green

2005/06 Mike Stanfa

2006/07 Dan Borschnack

2007/08 Marty Whalen

2008/09 Jeff Smith

2009/10 Mary Thomson

2011/12 Pam Dunlap

2012/14 David Robinson

2014/15 Phil Angelo

2015/16 Sandra Knight

2016/17 Nick Bufford

2017/18 Janet Glazar

2018/19 Mary Thomson

2019/20 Brent Davis

2020/21 Sandy Knight

2021/22 Nick Bufford

2022/23 Jan Glazar

2023/24 Jasmyne Humble

Officers

  • Club Officers 2024-2025

    President
    Mary Thomson

    President Elect
    Brandi Kaner

    Ex Officio
    Jasmyne Humble

    Treasurer
    Sandy Knight

    Assistant Treasurer
    John Crevier

    Secretary
    Lynn Tate Harwell

  • Board of Directors

    October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2025

    Todd Brack

    Jackie Bruhn

    Mary Thomson

    Sandy Knight

    October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2026

    Tom Breitenbucher

    Phil Angelo

    David Robinson

    Lynn Tate-Harwell

    October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2027

    Dawn Eaves

    Duane Tucker

Committees

 

  • Jackie Bruhn
    Brandi Kaner

  • Kay Green

  • Mary Thomson

  • Brandi Kaner

  • David Robinson
    Dale Gerretse
    John Crevier
    Jackie Bruhn
    Sandy Knight

    Review Club Budget, Policy and Financial Review

  • Mary Thomson
    John Gruhn
    Sandy Knight

    Review Grant Requests & Make Recommendations to the Board

  • Provide Coordination with Area Key Club Affiliates

  • Phil Angelo
    Mary Thomson

  • Sandy Knight, David Robinson, Mary Thomson, Dale Gerretse

  • Board of Directors

    Coordinate Peanut Day Sales

  • Plan & Schedule Meeting Programs in a Strategic Manner

  • Brandi Kaner

  • Patti High
    Jackie Bruhn
    Dawn Eaves

    Coordinate Leadership & Arion/Sousa Awards to High School Students

  • Brandi Kaner

    Provide New Shoes for Children

  • Brandi Kaner

    Internet Website Development

  • Mary Thomson

    Contact Local Schools Annually for the Need of Children’s Winter Garments and Seeking Community Funding to Purchase New Coats Anonymously

  • Board of Directors
    Bert Jacobson

    Provide Member Ushers at Youth Symphony Concert