Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 16 : Spring 2013 | Page 25

MAINE

A Mission,
A Legacy,
An Opportunity
PHOTO:

BOONDOCK’s
BOONDOCK’S
~
~
GRILLE
est. 2009

Steak, Seafood, Pizza
Phone: [phone]
294 MAIN STREET, FORT FAIRFIELD
W-TH 11am-7pm FR-SAT 11am-8pm SUN 11am-6pm

Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, AARP Founder

Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus founded what is now AARP more than 50
years ago. At that moment, she probably never dreamed that her
efforts would eventually result in an organization with 53 AARP state
offices nationwide and a membership of almost 37 million people 50+.
Already a powerful advocate in Washington, she no doubt did envision
the critical role that AARP would play on Capitol Hill and in state
capitols across the country.
Dr. Andrus was a school teacher and the first female high school
principal in the state of California. She saw firsthand the economic
plight of retired educators in the post-Depression era. At the time, it
was an accepted insurance industry standard that it was not “fiscally
sound” to offer health insurance to anyone aged 65 or older. Since
Medicare did not become available until 1965, and pensions were
meager, many retired teachers at the time found themselves living in
poverty during their so-called “golden years.”
Dr. Andrus was spurred to take action when she discovered one of her
retired colleagues living in just such deplorable conditions: she was
living outside of Los Angeles in, of all places, a chicken coop. Armed
with the belief that everyone has the right to age with dignity, Dr. Andrus
was moved to fight for the rights of retired teachers everywhere. She
began a campaign to provide affordable medical insurance for retired
educators. Eight years later, the first-ever group health insurance
coverage was offered to retired teachers throughout the nation. At that
time, Dr. Andrus founded the National Retired Educators Association
(NRTA).

182 Market Street
Fort Kent, Maine 04743
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.sjvrx.com
(Located in John’s Shurfine Grocery)

101 Military St Ste B
Houlton, ME 04730
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
(Located in County Yankee Grocer)

What happened next was incredible. Thousands of older Americans
who were not retired teachers (and therefore not eligible for NRTA
membership) contacted the Association wanting to know how they,
too, could obtain health insurance and other NRTA benefits if they
SPRING 2013

25