History of Ruritan

Ruritan National

Ruritan is a civic service organization whose purpose is to create a better understanding between rural and urban people and to make their community a better place to live and work by volunteering community service.  Ruritan was founded in Holland, Virginia, in 1928.

Since the first Club, Ruritan has grown throughout the United States, and in doing so, has become “America’s Leading Community Service Organization.”  Tom Downing of Suffolk, Virginia and Jack Gwaltney of Holland, Virginia, are known as the co-founders of Ruritan.  Gwaltney and Downing recognized the need for an organization where community leaders could meet and discuss ways to make their community a better place in which to live.  

The name “Ruritan” was suggested by Daisy Nurney, a reporter for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper, and the Club’s charter members unanimously adopted “Ruritan” as the organization’s name.  The word is a combination of Latin words for open country (rui) and small town (tan), interpreted as pertaining to rural and small-town life.

Hamilton Ruritan

The Hamilton Ruritan Club was chartered on May 2, 1957, and it was sponsored by the Stonewall Jackson Ruritan Club which is located in Clearbrook, Virginia.  Harold Roller, who was assistant county agent, was the catalyst for the Club’s formation.  He was the one who “beat the bushes” to get people interested in forming the Club.  There were a total of 41 charter members.  The first officers were:  President – Harold Roller; Vice-President – Donald McKibben; Secretary – James Rollins; Treasurer – Gordon Shaffer; 1-Year Director – John Muncaster; 2-year Director – Paul Warner; and 3-Year Director – Frank Burke.