Kuhn, Margaret E.

▪ 1996

      ("MAGGIE"), U.S. activist (b. Aug. 3, 1905, Buffalo, N.Y.—d. April 22, 1995, Philadelphia, Pa.), was the vivacious cofounder (1970) of the Gray Panthers, a group initially dedicated to championing causes of the elderly, including challenging age discrimination and lobbying for government health care coverage, but the organization soon embraced wider causes and helped raise opposition to the Vietnam War. After her retirement from a position with the Presbyterian Church in New York City became mandatory when she reached age 65, Kuhn used her energy and inspirational speeches to attract members to the Gray Panthers. She made no apologies for her age, wrinkles, and gray hair, reminding those her junior that "Everyone of us is growing old." The indomitable spokesperson for peace and social justice joined a picket line of transit workers just two weeks before her death. Kuhn published her autobiography, No Stone Unturned, in 1991.

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