Gallatin Rotarians are People of Action, when we see a need, we step up to help. We’d love to give you a way to give back.
Gallatin Rotary has weekly programs on interesting topics to learn new things about our community.
Making a difference has never been easier. Our Rotary club participates in many projects, you will find a place to serve.
In the month of February 2026, Rotary International will be focusing on Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention.
Graphic credit: Rtn. Debbie Vance – Rotary Graphics
Thank you Sumner County Museum for sharing stories of our community and our neighbors. We will honor Black History Month with you.Our first Black History Month Spotlight is Dr. Mattie E. Coleman
Dr. Mattie E. Coleman was born Mattie Eliza Howard on July 3, 1870, in Sumner County near Gallatin, Tennessee. A gifted student, she graduated high school at just 15 and went on to study at Central Tennessee College (later Walden University) before earning her medical degree from Meharry Medical College, becoming one of the first African American women physicians in Tennessee.
Rooted in her Sumner County upbringing, Dr. Coleman dedicated her life to service, education, and advocacy. She combined medicine with missionary work, caring for poor and underserved communities across Middle Tennessee. A fierce advocate for women’s rights, she helped found the Women’s Connectional Missionary Society of the CME Church and served as its president from 1918 to 1939, opening doors for women in church leadership.
Dr. Coleman also played a vital role in the women’s suffrage movement. Working alongside Juno Frankie Pierce and other leaders, she helped more than 2,500 African American women register to vote for the 1919 Nashville city elections, laying the groundwork for Tennessee’s ratification of the 19th Amendment. Her impact extended into education and public health as a college administrator, superintendent, and the first Black woman physician to serve as a state tuberculosis advisor.
From Sumner County to the state and nation, Dr. Mattie E. Coleman’s legacy is one of leadership, compassion, and lasting change that should not be forgotten rather celebrated.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
12:30pm – 3:30pm
Storm relief – free meals
Gallatin, TN
Clearview Park
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