District 10 celebrates 85 years of helping members become better people!
District 10 began with the formation of Akron Toastmasters Club #151 in 1939.
Lewis (Lew) Turner, while visiting California in the 1930s, heard of an organization that promoted self-development and the “how-to’s” for more effective communication. Turner was so impressed after visiting the Toastmasters club of our founder, Ralph Smedley, that he vowed to form a club on his return to Akron. He started the first Toastmasters club in Ohio, which was chartered in Akron in December 1939. Akron became the 151st community in the world to welcome Toastmasters.
The idea spread, and by late 1941, there were seven Toastmasters clubs in Ohio. Lew Turner then set in motion the formation of the district, which required a minimum of 10 clubs in order to be officially chartered.
In early 1942, we became the tenth district in the world to be formed, and thus that is why we are known as “District 10.” Lew Turner was appointed by Dr. Smedley to serve as district governor until the first election was held in 1943.
Turner’s interest in Toastmasters energized him to become an international director in the 1940s and ultimately the 1949-50 international president, overseeing all of Toastmasters International. He is one of two District 10 members to have served as international president. The other was T. Vincent (Vince) McIntire (1956-1957). There have been 12 other members of District 10 who have gone on to become international directors.