Type: Exhibition section
Name: The Elderly
Detail: "What will we as a Nation do with the energy, imagination, and experience of Americans who are technically beyond retirement age, even though they feel they have something yet to give for others? We should answer that question in the most positive terms we can." Harrison A. Williams, Jr., Opening statement at introduction of Older Americans Community Service Program bill, 12 January 1967.Poverty, health care, housing, and other concerns of the elderly were a central feature of Great Society programs. As a member of the Special Committee on Aging for most of his career, Williams gained a first-hand view of the problems of the aged, leading to his advocacy of corrective legislation and involvement in programs such as Meals on Wheels. Williams viewed seniors not just in terms of their problems, but also as individuals with potential as a national human resource warranting government support. Green Thumb, Retired Senior Volunteer (RSVP), and other programs advocated by Williams and supported by federal funding reflected this view.