History

In 1936 the established “Circle K House” at Washington State College was established by the Kiwanis Club of Pullman, Washington.  The house was rented to students who needed assistance to attend college.  In 1947, Circle K transitioned from a fraternity to a service-oriented organization. That year the first Circle K club was chartered at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois.

In 1949, two more clubs were organized, including one in Canada, making Circle K international. There were 147 Circle K clubs in 1955, when Circle K was officially recognized as a sponsored organization of Kiwanis International.