“Few people know how to be old.”
The legacy of activist Maggie Kuhn.
Dear History Lover,
Every morning, Monday through Friday, Maggie Kuhn was out the door by 7:15 in the morning. A “harmless old lady in tennis shoes” ambled her way through the early morning streets of Philadelphia, boarding a train to take her to New York. An hour and twelve-minute commute, one way. But her travels didn’t end there. Another train; a bus ride; and a four-block walk, all to get to work. Two and a half hours from when she left her apartment, Maggie Kuhn would start her shift. And she loved it.
That’s Maggie Kuhn. A woman who jumped at the opportunity to train young, working women in a group she volunteered to lead with the YWCA. She educated women about unionizing, women’s issues, as well as relevant social issues. During World War II, Maggie continued her social justice activism organizing for the United Service Organizations (USO). Later, she was one of the first women hired to an executive position by the Social Education and Action Department of the Presbyterian Church in New York City. She held this position for over twenty years and wanted to work there for many more until, at the age of 65, she was forced to stop. Did the two-and-a-half-hour commute finally catch up with Maggie? No. In fact, the year was 1970 and a mandatory retirement law was in effect. Maggie was forced to retire. She was 65 years young.
Maggie, shocked and dejected, was angry. “Something clicked in my mind…,” she writes in her autobiography, “… and I saw that my problem was not mine alone… Instead of sinking into despair, I did what came most naturally to me: I telephoned some friends and called a meeting.” That meeting included other men and women who were forced into retirement. They saw that the issues plaguing them were numerous, from age discrimination, to pension rights, to issues with nursing homes, housing, and even public policy. Thus, the Gray Panthers were born.
A janitor’s broom closet in the Tabernacle Church in West Philadelphia served as their headquarters. Retirees volunteered their time to organize events. They tapped into the undercurrent of older citizens by appealing to their very legitimate feelings of rejection. The Gray Panthers argued that older citizens are a great national resource, who were largely unrecognized, undervalued, and underutilized. They insisted that retirees remain politically and socially active. In less than two years, the Gray Panthers gained overwhelming support as thousands of people, young and old, joined the movement to fight against ageism.
“Go to the people at the top. Leave safety behind. Put your body on the line. Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind - even if your voice shakes… And do your homework. Know your subject.”
- Maggie Kuhn
During the 1976 Christmas season, the Gray Panthers learned that all John Wanamaker department store employees over age 65 were to be let go on Christmas Eve. They organized a two-hour demonstration at the Wanamakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The radio coverage was extensive, catapulting the Gray Panthers to the national stage. They boasted over 75,000 members and 122 networks in 43 states throughout the nation, and their greatest accomplishments were yet to come.
Out of all that Maggie faced fighting ageism, what she despised most was being called ‘cute.’ Physically petite, often weighing 85 pounds in her adult years, and with white hair in a wispy bun atop her head, Maggie truly “put her body on the line.” Even at 79, she was associated with that word. ‘Cute.’ ‘Cute’ was often used to dismiss Maggie. ‘Cute’ has a long-standing connotation of passive-aggression. When President Gerald Ford invited Maggie to speak by asking, “And what have you to say, young lady?” Maggie retorted, “Mr. President, I am not a young lady. I am an old woman.”
As Maggie put it, “We have the right to have our anger reflected in the decision-making process.” The Grey Panthers’ anger not only reflected, it also shattered the glass. In 1978, Congress raised the mandatory retirement age to 70. After years of lobbying, in 1986, the mandatory retirement age was formally abolished.
Maggie marveled, in 1995, that the average human lifespan had doubled since the turn of the century, and thought it silly that people were supposed to retire just over halfway through their lives. There is an entirely new life to live beyond the age of 65. In the 1980s, Maggie decided to live with four 20 to 30-year-olds, explaining that the living arrangement enabled her to use a “… whole new type of energy one has access to when they get older.” She died at the age of 89. Her obituary mentions that when she was forced to retire, “… They gave me a sewing machine. But I never opened it. I was too busy.” Yes, Maggie Kuhn was busy, indeed. She continued to work for the Gray Panthers, traveling, speaking, advocating, until the day she died. As was her right.
P.S. To watch a 1983 interview with Kuhn, produced by Florida Community College of Jacksonville in 1983, click HERE.
Historically yours,
Judith Kalaora
Founder | Artistic Director
History At Play™, LLC
*With support from Uriel Ramos and Olivia Winters
An anecdote from Judith, Founder & Artistic Director of History At Play™, LLC.
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A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
SATURDAY August 1, 2026
7:00 pm
Narrowsburg Union
7 Erie Avenue, Narrowsburg, NY
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Rendezvous with Rachel Revere™
SUNDAY August 2, 2026
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Lacawac Sanctuary
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A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
THURSDAY August 6, 2026
6:00 pm
Westport Free Public Library
408 Old County Road, Westport, MA
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120 Tremont Street, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA
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A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
TUESDAY August 11, 2026
1:00 pm
Groton Council on Aging
163 W Main Street, Groton, MA
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SATURDAY August 15, 2026
7:30 pm CT
First Congregational Church, UCC
651 Phoenix St. South Haven, MI
Sponsored by the South Haven Theatre Series.
Tickets are $15. To purchase, click HERE.
Rendezvous with Rachel Revere™
TUESDAY August 18, 2026
1:00 pm CT
Glencoe Public Library
320 Park Avenue, Glencoe, IL
Rendezvous with Rachel Revere™
WEDNESDAY August 19, 2026
6:30 pm CT
Fremont Public Library
1170 N Midlothian Road, Mundelein, IL
Rendezvous with Rachel Revere™
THURSDAY August 20, 2026
1:00 pm CT
Vernon Area Public Library
300 Olde Half Day Road, Lincolnshire, IL
A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
FRIDAY August 21, 2026
1:00 pm CT
Eisenhower Public Library
4613 N Oketo Avenue, Harwood Heights, IL
A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
SATURDAY August 22, 2026
11:30 am CT
Park Gazebo
103 N Bishop Hill Street, Bishop Hill, IL
Sponsored by Bishop Hill Chautauqua.
Rendezvous with Rachel Revere™
SUNDAY August 30, 2026
2:00 pm
Vokes Theatre
97 Boston Post Road (Route 20), Wayland, MA
Sponsored by the Wayland Historical Commission.
Civil Spies™ Elizabeth Van Lew
THURSDAY September 17, 2026
12:00 pm ET
MIT Endicott House
80 Haven Street, Dedham, MA
Sponsored by the Needham History Center & Museum. To purchase tickets for the luncheon and performance ($48), click HERE.
A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
SATURDAY September 19, 2026
12:00 pm CT
Poems Park
535 E. Main Street, Jackson, TN
Sponsored by the James Madison Chapter, TNSSAR.
A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
FRIDAY September 25, 2026
9:00 am
Boston, MA
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A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson™
FRIDAY September 25, 2026
7:00 pm
Williamsville Chapel
4 Burnshirt Road, Hubbardston, MA
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CHALLENGER: Soaring with Christa McAuliffe™
SATURDAY September 26, 2026
2:00 pm
McLean Independent Living
50 Sarah Lane, Simsbury, CT
Rendezvous with Rachel Revere™
TUESDAY September 29, 2026
6:30 pm
Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation
42 Water Street, Granville, MA
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