Jonathan W. McConnell was recently introduced as the newest Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation by his father, Dr. Bill McConnell. Jon is a Wichita criminal defense attorney, who represents clients across the entire state. Not only does McConnell specialize in criminal defense, but he also specialized in civil litigation, traffic law, DUI defense, and white-collar crime.
Like McConnel, all Paul Harris Fellows are known for their generosity and support of the Rotary’s humanitarian goals. Membership as a Paul Harris Fellow is achieved by contributing $1,000 or more annually to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved global foundation grant. Once the individual makes a monetary contribution, they must then be requested for membership by a Rotarian or another community member. The Rotary Foundation is dedicated to fighting disease, saving mothers and children, supporting education, promoting peace, providing clean water, and growing local economies through grants and donations. These grants are used to fund and support various humanitarian causes. Some of these causes include Uganda peace-building seminars, malaria prevention in Mali, improving sanitary conditions in India, and protecting children from polio.
Established in 1957, the Paul Harris Society is named after the Rotary’s founding member. Paul Harris Fellow membership reached one million in 2006 and continues to make a global impact through reputable humanitarian efforts. Notable members include U.S. President Jimmy Carter, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and U.S. astronaut James Lovell.
“I became a Paul Harris Fellow in honor of my father, who has shown me in his life Service Above Self,” says Jonathan W. McConnell. “From an early age, I knew that my life’s calling was to help others in need. Giving back and protecting people at their lowest point brings out the best in me. My involvement as a Paul Harris Fellow further extends my mission of providing relief to people who need the most help.”
Jonathan W. McConnell, Wichita criminal defense attorney, received his Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from WSU and his Juris Doctorate from the St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, FL. In 2013 and 2014, McConnell was named a “Top 40 Under 40” attorney by The National Trial Lawyers. He is also active in the Wichita community with the Shriners Hospitals for Children and RiteCare Speech and Language Clinics.
