Ethel Percy Andrus, Grey Gables, & AARP
Photo of Dr Andrus, center, with a model of Grey Gables used at the 1965 New York World's Fair. Courtesy: The Gables of OjaiDr. Ethel Percy Andrus (1881 - 1967) founded AARP at Grey Gables of Ojai. Formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, it is the largest organization in the United States. A former high school teacher and principal, she devoted the last 25 years of her life to helping senior citizens make the most of their retirement years.
Grey Gables of Ojai is among America's most historic retirement communities. Founded by Dr. Andrus in 1954, Grey Gables was an "experiment in living" that helped define the modern retirement lifestyle. While at Grey Gables, Andrus pioneered programs and services that included retiree health insurance, housing, senior travel, lifelong learning programs, and senior discounts including low-cost drugs. In 1958, Grey Gables was the birthplace of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and its flagship magazine, Modern Maturity. (Now called AARP The Magazine, it remains the highest circulation magazine in America.) The Grey Gables lifestyle exemplified the modern retirement lifestyle Americans aspire to today.
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DR. ANDRUS
ETHEL & ELEANOR
GREY GABLES
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OJAI SENIOR (55+) POETRY CONTEST
This poetry competition aimed to celebrate the originality and individuality of Ojai seniors through poetry. It was organized by local high school student Gary Liu as a tribute to Ethel Percy Andrus, who founded AARP and Grey Gables in Ojai. It also aimed to honor National Poetry Month and Older Americans Month. The contest ended on May 31, 2023. Thank you to all the wonderful writers who submitted their work to this contest.
Read the winning poems here.
This section of our website has been funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Telling the Full Story Preservation Fund, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website do not necessarily represent those of the National Trust or the National Endowment for the Humanities.