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Gray Panthers Records
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Founded in 1970 by Maggie Kuhn and five other women who had been pressed into mandatory retirement, the Gray Panthers began as the Consultation of Older and Younger Adults. The name the Gray Panthers was adopted in 1972. The Panthers met initially in Philadelphia, later expanding nationally. Interests of the group, in addition to eliminating mandatory retirement, included the war in Vietnam, the arms race of the 1970s and 1980s, affordable housing, nursing home abuses, banking reform, civil rights, transportation, health care and patients' rights, and creating structure for grassroots populations to facilitate social change at the community level.
The first national Gray Panthers convention took place in October 1975, followed by statewide and regional Gray Panther conventions. Ongoing participation in numerous coalitions included involvement in the establishment of the National Caucus of the Black Aged, and as primary players in the formation of the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform. Additional groups in coalition with the Panthers included Coalition for a National Health Service, Progressive Alliance, National Senior Citizens Law Center, National Coalition for a New Foreign and Military Policy, and the Older Women's League (OWL).
In 1981, Kuhn founded the Shared-Housing Resource Center (SHRC), with the goal of providing safe, affordable housing for people of all races, genders, and ages. Consistent with the values of the Gray Panthers, SHRC sought to integrate the lives and concerns of the elderly with those of the younger generation, these living arrangements paired the young and old in "match" or "group" residences. Initially headed by Dennis Day-Lower (whose Boston Shared Living Project was the model for SHRC), the organization started locally and later expanded into regional and national organizations.
The Gray Panthers publication The Network began as a national newspaper, and later changed into a newsletter. Early issues included critical analyses of the news and in-depth research articles. It also functioned as a conduit for activist techniques utilized and developed by the Gray Panthers.
While the Gray Panthers have consistently had a Philadelphia presence, operating initially out of the Tabernacle Church in West Philadelphia and out of Kuhn's own house on Greene Street in Germantown, the national office was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1990.
The Gray Panthers Records documents the activities of the Gray Panthers from the organization's inception to the early to mid-1990s. Records include correspondence, administrative records, legal briefs, reference files, position papers, publications, photographs, and other materials that document the formation and work of this organization. This collection includes preserved versions of the organization's website, available through Archive-It.
This collection consists of 5 accessions of material, and is organized into 7 series:
- Series 1: Accession 835, 1953-1999
- Subseries 1.1: Administration, 1953-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.1.1: Board, 1972-1995
- Sub-subseries 1.1.2: Documents, 1973-1994
- Sub-subseries 1.1.3: Chronological, 1971-1993
- Sub-subseries 1.1.4: Office, 1984-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.1.5: Funding Records, 1968-1994
- Sub-subseries 1.1.6: Finance Records, 1975-1994
- Sub-subseries 1.1.7: Correspondence, 1974-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.1.8: History, 1970-1978
- Sub-subseries 1.1.9: Archives, circa 1953-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.1.10: Personnel, 1974-1990 (PORTIONS RESTRICTED)
- Sub-subseries 1.1.11: International Contracts, 1992-1995
- Sub-subseries 1.1.12: Phone Logs, 1953-1994
- Sub-subseries 1.1.13: Mailings, 1970-1994
- Sub-subseries 1.1.14: Volunteer Work Applications, circa 1953-1996 (RESTRICTED)
- Subseries 1.2: Correspondence, 1960-1996
- Subseries 1.3: Reference Files, 1985-1990
- Subseries 1.4: Subjects, undated, circa 1953-2015
- Subseries 1.5: Maggie Kuhn, 1940-1977
- Subseries 1.6: Meetings, 1970-1995
- Sub-subseries 1.6.1: Conferences, 1970-1993
- Sub-subseries 1.6.2: Conventions, 1977-1995
- Sub-subseries 1.6.3: Meetings, 1970-1994
- Subseries 1.7: Trips, 1976-1986
- Subseries 1.8: Speaking Engagements, 1970-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.8.1: Administration, circa 1970-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.8.2: Chronological, 1970-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.8.3: Speeches, 1970-1992
- Subseries 1.9: Local Networks, 1972-1993
- Subseries 1.10: Testimonies, 1972-1989
- Subseries 1.11: Organizations, 1969-1993
- Subseries 1.12: Projects, 1970-1993
- Subseries 1.13: Shared Housing Resources Center, 1957-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.13.1: Administration, 1976-1995 (PORTIONS RESTRICTED)
- Sub-subseries 1.13.2: Client Files, circa 1957-1996 (RESTRICTED)
- Sub-subseries 1.13.3: Financial, 1957-1991
- Sub-subseries 1.13.4: Correspondence, 1980-1992
- Sub-subseries 1.13.5: Maggie Kuhn, 1980-1995
- Sub-subseries 1.13.6: Other Branches and Photographs, circa 1957-1996
- Sub-subseries 1.13.7: Publications, 1973-1991
- Sub-subseries 1.13.8: Match Cards, circa 1957-1996 (RESTRICTED)
- Sub-subseries 1.13.9: Oversized Materials, 1984-1991
- Subseries 1.14: Publications, 1972-1999
- Subseries 1.15: Audiovisual Materials and Slides, undated, circa 1953-1999
- Subseries 1.16: Memorabilia, undated, circa 1953-1999
- Subseries 1.17: Miscellaneous, 1983-1990
- Series 2: Accession 924, 1968-1990s
- Subseries 2.1: Administration, 1970-1988
- Subseries 2.2: Correspondence, 1978-1989
- Subseries 2.3: Reference Files, circa 1968-1990s
- Subseries 2.4: Subjects, 1977-1990s
- Subseries 2.5: Meetings, 1968-1990
- Sub-subseries 2.5.1: Conferences, 1968-1989
- Sub-subseries 2.5.2, Conventions, 1971-1985
- Sub-subseries 2.5.3: Meetings, 1971-1990
- Subseries 2.6: Trips, 1982-1989
- Subseries 2.7: Speaking Engagements, 1973-1990
- Subseries 2.8: Local Networks, 1980-1983
- Subseries 2.9: Testimonies, 1977-1989
- Subseries 2.10: Organizations, circa 1968-1990s
- Subseries 2.11: Projects, circa 1968-1990s
- Subseries 2.12: Publications, circa 1968-1990s
- Subseries 2.13: Audiovisual, 1985-1989
- Subseries 2.14: Miscellaneous, circa 1968-1990s
- Series 3: Accession 1102, 1970-1984
- Subseries 3.1: Administrative Records, 1970-1983
- Subseries 3.2: Correspondence, 1970-1984
- Subseries 3.3: Regional Networks, 1973-1984
- Subseries 3.4: Court Cases and Legal Correspondence, 1974-1982
- Subseries 3.5: Conferences and Speaking Engagements, 1970-1984
- Subseries 3.6: International File, 1972-1982
- Subseries 3.7: Reference Files, 1970-1984
- Subseries 3.8: Photographs, 1973-1981
- Series 4: Photographs (PC-91), 1970-1999
- Series 5: Accession 2015-7, 1976-1999, undated
- Series 6: Accession 2015-21, 1971-2014, undated
- Subseries 6.1: Board of Directors records, 1986-2012, undated
- Subseries 6.2: Financial records, 1985-2014
- Subseries 6.3: General administrative records, 1972-2013, undated
- Subseries 6.4: Chapter records, 1972-2013, undated
- Subseries 6.5: Events and conventions, 1986-2010
- Subseries 6.6: Publications, photographs, ephemera, 1971-2007, undated
- Subseries 6.7: Meeting, lectures, and other audiocassettes, 1978-1994, undated
- Subseries 6.8: Conventions and Board of Directors audiocassettes, 1986-2007, undated
- Subseries 6.9: Video recordings and compact disks, 1980-2006, undated
- Series 7: Website versions in Archive-It, 2000-2015
Additions to this collection are expected. Websites are captured using Archive-It periodically, and the latest additions may not yet be included in this finding aid. For information on material-physical and digital, including captured websites-that may have been added since the last finding aid update, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
The Gray Panthers Records were acquired by donation or transfer in several accessions. Accessions 835 (July 1996), 840 (October 1996), 857 (March 1997), 860 (March 1997), were donated by Sue Leary, Executrix of the Estate of Margaret (Maggie) Kuhn for the Gray Panthers and the Shared Housing Resource Center Collections.
Accessions 864 (July 1997), 924 (November 1999), and 1102 (June 2012) were transferred from the Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pa., segregated from the personal papers of Maggie Kuhn. These records originally came to the PHS from Maggie Kuhn and the Estate of Margaret (Maggie) Kuhn.
Accession 2015-7 was donated by Judy Lear, April 27, 2015. Accession 2015-21 was donated by Jim Dawson, July 9, 2015.
Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Certain digital files may also be inaccessible. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
In November 1998, accessions 840, 857, 860, and 864 were incorporated into accession 835. This combined accession was processed and a finding aid prepared in 1999 by Sarah Sherman, Urban Archives Consultant, with funding provided by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Accession 924 was processed and a finding aid prepared in 2001 by Phil D'Andrea, Jack Gumbrecht, and Earle Spamer, in completion of requirements for Temple University's History 624 course, Archives and Manuscripts.
Accession 1102 was originally processed at the Presbyterian Historical Society through funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project. The collection was minimally processed and the finding aid was created in January-February 2011 by Devin Manzullo-Thomas and Daniel Cavanaugh, and revised in July 2011 by Bill Brock, PHS Collection Management Archivist. Information for Temple University's finding aid was generated from the PHS series descriptions and inventory by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services, in 2012.
Finding aids were combined and revised according to contemporary archival standards in August 2015 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services. Accessions 2015-7 and 2015-21 were added to the finding aid in August 2016 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services.
Personal papers of Maggie Kuhn were separated from the collection and transferred to the Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2014. For more information contact the Special Collections Research Center.
People
Organization
Subject
- Human rights workers
- Justice
- Old age
- Older people
- Race relations
- Retirement
- Social action--United States
- Social reformers--United States
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- August 2024
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research. Portions of personnel files in subseries 1.1.10, volunteer work applications in sub-subseries 1.1.14, client files in sub-subseries 1.13.1 and 1.13.2, and match cards in sub-series 1.13.2 and 1.13.8, are restricted until 75 years after the date of their creation.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Gray Panthers Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1, Accession 835, has been divided into 17 subseries.
Subseries 1.1, Administration, has been divided into 14 sub-subseries. The sub-subseries Board contains minutes, reports, attachments, notes and correspondence documenting communications to board members. The Documents sub-subseries contains documents including the Articles of Agreement (by-laws), Project Fund descriptions and Annual Reports. The Chronological sub-subseries includes drafts, memos, reports, lists, and correspondence. The Office sub-subseries contain notes, drafts, memos, lists, and publications that reflect the growing staff and relate somewhat more to the actual workings of the national office. Funding Records include proposals, correspondence, notes, and memos, organized chronologically. Finance Records contain financial statements, weekly cash reports, minutes of budget and finance committee, budget comparisons, audits, and direct mail income reports. There is some overlap between Finance and Funding records. Correspondence contains letters organized chronologically. Additional correspondence can be found throughout the collection. The History sub-subseries includes minutes, agendas, reports, correspondence, notes, and research papers on the Gray Panthers. This materials appears to have been grouped together by Maggie Kuhn as an attempt to compile a history of the Gray Panthers. The Archives sub-subseries contains correspondence and lists. Personnel contains forms, correspondence, memos, reports, job descriptions, and resumes. Some Personnel files are restricted until 75 years after the date of their creation. International Contracts contains correspondence, faxes, and publication. Phone logs contain spiral notebook logs. Mailings contain notices, correspondence, position papers, and lists. Volunteer Work Applications were originally addressed to the Retired Professional Action Group (RPAG) which merged with the Gray Panthers in 1973. This consists of applications, correspondence and attachments, of retired individuals interested in lending their expertise to making changes in society. These files are restricted until 75 years after the date of their creation.
Portions of Personnel files are restricted until 75 years after the date of their creation.
The files in Sub-subseries 1.1.14 are restricted until 75 years after the date of their creation.
Subseries 1.2, Correspondence, contains letters in chronological order. Three boxes at the end of the chronological grouping, arranged alphabetically, separate out specific individuals or entities. Notable correspondence includes that with active Gray Panther members (Margaret Hummel, Schubert Frye, Jack Zucker, Lillian Rabinowitz, Billie Heller, Grace Gaines Jacobs, Sylvia Kleinman and Dave Brown, among others), with politicians (Frank Church, Edward Kennedy, Patricia Schroeder, William Gray, John Heinz, and Harris Wofford), gerontologists and academics (Robert Butler, Carroll Estes, Warren Salmon), and other activists (Ralph Nader, Robert Bothwell). Much of the correspondence comes in the form of carbon copy responses to letters received and/or original letters from correspondents. Occasionally carbons are accompanied by drafts in Kuhn's hand. A number of enclosures such as publications, resumes, and photos (copies only; originals have been removed Series 4, Photographs), have been retained with the letters.
folder 1 of 2
folder 2 of 2
Subseries 1.3, Reference Files, includes publications, lists, notes, and correspondence from 1985 to 1990, arranged alphabetically.
folder 1 of 2
folder 2 of 2
Subseries 1.4, Subjects, contains publications, position papers, correspondence, petitions, and notes, organized alphabetically by subject. Notable subjects include: Health, Housing, and Housing America, Church and Aging, Long Term Care Reform (primarily relating to nursing home reform), and Media and Women.