Champions of Aging - Americans Who Protected Seniors

Champions of Aging

Here are 10 Americans who helped to build a nation that respects and protects its oldest citizens

Our Hall of Fame

They came from divergent backgrounds but shared a common cause: fighting for the interests, rights, financial security and overall well-being of older Americans. Learn more about these movers and shakers in this virtual hall of fame.

Ethel Percy Andrus

The founder of AARP was an educator who never stopped teaching. .

Robert M Ball

The lifelong civil servant (pictured upper right) oversaw the creation of the Medicare system in the mid-1960s, which may have been the largest government undertaking since D-Day. .

Warren W Blaney

Many compete in the Senior Olympics, but few can name the movement’s founder (pictured far right).
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Robert N Butler

Butler was raised by his grandparents, became a doctor and fought prejudice and discrimination against older Americans. .

Elma Holder

Are nursing homes "over-regulated?" she asked rhetorically. "Well, are the schools in your town over-regulated?" .

Lyndon B Johnson

The son of a failed cotton farmer engineered the passage of Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act. .

Maggie Kuhn

The Gray Panthers founder weighed only 95 pounds but packed a big punch as a crusading activist. .

Patrick V McNamara

As a senator, the one-time pipefitter helped lead the charge for Medicare. .

Claude Pepper

Mr. Senior Citizen’s concern for those in need may have grown out of his own early struggles. .

Edwin E Witte

Witte, raised in hardscrabble Wisconsin, invented Social Security, the program that millions of retirees depend on. . Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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