The Rotary Club of Los Angeles has long been regarded, to use the term coined by Theodore Roosevelt, as a "bully pulpit" for speakers. The club was founded in 1909, while Mr. Roosevelt was president, and is the fifth oldest Rotary club in the world. LA5, as it is known to members, is not only one of the oldest clubs in the world, it is also one of the largest. LA5's membership of more than 300 men and women of accomplishment represent a cross-section of the private sector and government in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The club also has one of the largest endowments of any Rotary club in the world, the income from which supports a wide range of philanthropic projects that total more than $350,000 annually. Over the decades, the Rotary Club of Los Angeles has provided a forum for prominent people from business, the professions, government and academia in the United States and around the world. They have found the club to be an excellent venue to present their views on topical issues and encourage support for their programs and causes.