Michigan Society of
Gerontology
50th Anniversary
MSG
Rooted in major historical changes
Improved hygiene
Advances in healthcare
Changing position of women in society
Advances in transportation and personal mobility
The result
•
People living longer
•
Population growing older
•
Increasing number of
older adults needing care
•
Fewer caregivers
•
Older adults with few
resources struggling to
care for themselves
•
Inadequate long-term
care services
A “Poor House”
A public support system created
• Great Depression
• Social Security Act of 1935; old-age homes
began to be built
• Hill-Burton Hospital Survey and
Construction Act of 1946
• National Conference on Aging in 1950
The idea for MSG was formed
• As early as 1953,
Professors from the U
of M’s Institute of
Gerontology, and
others, saw the need
for citizens to band
together
on behalf of older
adults
• Led by Wilma
Donahue, PhD, MSG
was founded in 1956
Wilma Donahue, PhD
1900-1993
• The founding meeting
was held at the
Kellogg Center
56-60
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76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
Several early key members
of MSG
• Wilma Donahue
•Jordan Popkin
• A. Hazen Price
• Frederick Swartz
• Minnie Oed
• Harry Kelley
• Katherine Reebel
• Norma Silver
• Herbert Rubenstein
•Vladimir K. Volk
•Charles Odell
• Woodrow Hunter
• Leonard Gernant
How MSG grew
• The time was right. The country was recognizing the
need to respond to an aging population
• The leadership was right. Wilma Donahue and others
were experts, activists, connected locally and
nationally, as well as tireless recruiters
• MSG formed connections with other groups
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56-60
Michigan Geriatrics Society
Michigan Welfare League
Michigan Health Council
National Society of Gerontology
U of M’s Division of Gerontology
The Michigan Commission on Aging
61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
Early MSG activism
• 1958: MSG supported Bill 79 to establish a
Michigan Commission on Aging. It was
established 2 years later
• 1959: MSG leaders prepared for the White
House Conferences on Aging with a Michigan
region study conference
• MSG had an active Legislative Committee that
met with the MI Commission on Aging to
discuss various issues related to policies and
resources for the elderly
56-60
61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
Early MSG activism
• 1961: MSG members took part in
the White House Conference on
Aging in Washington, D.C.
• 1963: MSG recommended to
Governor Romney that the Michigan
Commission on Aging become a
separate entity. He agreed.
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61-65
66-70
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76-80
81-85
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91-95
96-00
01-06
• 1963: MSG recommended to Gov.
Romney that he allocate funds to
pilot “County Commissions on
Aging”. He agreed.
• 1964: Governor's Task Force on
Aging was created with MSG
support
Early MSG: Bridging Policy,
Practice and Research
• 1965: MSG sponsored a conference on
“Better Care of Elderly Patients in Nursing
Homes”
• 1965: MSG members attended National
Conference on Aging in Washington, D.C.
Harry J. Kelley witnessed the signing of
the Older Americans Act
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Michigan’s influence at the
national level
1965: The Older
Americans Act is
passed. It was
introduced in the
Senate by Pat
McNamara of MI,
friend of MSG, who
guided it to
unanimous
approval.
Patrick Vincent McNamara
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76-80
81-85
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91-95
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01-06
MSG activism continues
• 1966: MSG held a special event
explaining federal legislation such
as Medicare, Older Americans Act,
and the War on Poverty
• 1968: MSG recommended to the
state that it increase the food
budget allowance for the elderly
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61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
MSG: Policy, Practice and Research
• 1971: MSG members took part in
the state and national White
House Conferences on Aging
• 1973: MSG formed the Michigan
Seniors Coalition. The first
event drew 600 delegates
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61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
MSG: Policy, Practice and Research
• 1974-75: MSG started a newsletter called
“Legislative-News Hotline” which was
followed by the 1975 OSA newsletter,
“Aging Alert,” still published today
• 1976: The Haak-Lilliefors lecture series
was established, featuring national
leaders in the field
• 1977: MSG helped plan OSA’s first annual
Senior Power Day, still held in cities
across the state
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61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
MSG in the Early 1980s
• 1980: MSG sponsored the first
combined federal-state public
hearing on aging held in Michigan
• 1981: MSG members participated
in the White House Conference on
Aging
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61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
01-06
• MSG’s Legislative Committee was
disbanded but active political dialogue
and relationships continued
• Declining membership led to member
surveys and ‘soul searching’ to
reexamine and reaffirm MSG’s mission
• A student section of MSG was started in
1988. By 1990 there were over 100
student members.
MSG: 1990 to now
• 1993: Letter to Hillary Clinton from
MSG President Judith Walters which
asked for support of national LTC policy
• 2004: Jennifer Mendez, MSG Board
member, was appointed to the MI
Medicaid LTC Task Force by Governor
Granholm
• 2005: MSG Members served as
Delegates to the White House
Conference on Aging
MSG: Still Bridging Policy,
Practice, and Research
• Conferences, forums, or workshops
are held annually
• MSG awards are presented annually to
recognize outstanding practitioners,
educators, policy makers and
students
• MSG now hosts the only statewide
listserv dedicated to creating dialogue
on aging issues across all arenas
The MSG Photo Gallery
The 25th Anniversary Celebration, October
28, 1982, Kellogg Center, East Lansing, MI
Larry Murray, MSG President
1981-1983
Gordon Hannah, MSG
President 1980-81
Katherine Kumkoski, MSG
President 1975-76
Harry Wolf
Richard Colwell,
MSG President
1976-77
MSG 28th Annual Meeting
John Schonenberg
Beryl Zinn
Judy Hollister
David Dekker, MSG
President 1979-80
Maurice Beck, MSG
President 1983-85
Stewart White
Mary Ablan
Rev. Josephine Morgan
Christine Hennessey
Wilma Donahue
“I believe no state deserves more credit for
stimulating and realizing the new legislation
than does Michigan. Your own Society,
perhaps the foremost in the country, has
contributed greatly to an understanding of
the needs and aspirations of Michigan’s
older people…”
Jay B. Constantine, Research Director of the U.S.
Senate Special Committee on Aging, 1965