Ollie Erickson, second from left, received his third Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Recognition and his wife Barbara received the same honor in absentia, for their daughter Maribeth, from Club President Kevin Sixbey, far left and Greg Jones, Club Foundation Chairman, far right.

Long-time Rotarian Ollie Erickson was presented with his third Paul Harris Fellow Award at a recent Rotary Club of Jamestown meeting.

Erickson is from Jamestown, graduated from Jamestown High School, attended Thiel College and graduated from Kent State University. He first joined Rotary in 1987 and the Rotary Club of Jamestown in 2002.

Erickson had a long sales career in industrial products with assignments to Detroit, Baltimore and Philadelphia before returning to Jamestown with his wife Barbara to retire. Each Paul Harris Fellow Award recipient may name the person of his choice to also receive the award.

Erickson named his daughter Maribeth to receive the honor and his wife Barbara received it in her stead. Maribeth Erickson who is a former Rotary Exchange student to Japan, lives in New Mexico, is a supporter of the swimming team at Los Alamos and is a former Rotary Exchange student to Japan.

The Rotary Foundation presents the Paul Harris Fellow Award in honor of an initial contribution of $1,000 and for each $1,000 additional gift up to the Major Donor level of $10,000. The money is used for various global humanitarian efforts.

Paul Harris was the founder and organizer of the first Rotary Club in Chicago in 1905. In 1957, Paul Harris Fellow recognition was begun to promote voluntary giving to The Rotary Foundation. An amount of $1,000 (the equivalent of over $9,000 today) was established as the contribution level in 1957. That amount has remained constant over the years. There are more than 1.5 million Paul Harris Fellows in the world. Each have earned their Paul Harris Fellow pin and certificate in past years. Their subsequent contributions to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund or approved Foundation grants have added gemstones to their Paul Harris pins. They are named as multiple Paul Harris Fellows.