Margaret Elizabeth (“Maggie”) Kuhn (1905-1995) was a lifelong activist for human rights, economic justice, and more. In 1970, at age 65, she was forced out of her position with the United Presbyterian Church (USA) due to the church’s mandatory retirement policy. Kuhn and several other women who had retired under similar circumstances founded a group to advocate against ageism and the Vietnam War. In 1972, their noteworthy activities attracted the attention of a New York Times reporter who dubbed them the “Gray Panthers” in reference to the Black Panthers. As of 2026, the group is still active both nationally and globally.

In early March 1976, Maggie Kuhn, then national organizer of the Gray Panthers, visited Seattle. At University Unitarian Church, she led a workshop on self-advocacy and gave a public address titled “Age and Liberation.” This photo of Kuhn was taken during that visit.

Caption information source: Program announcement on Religion page, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 28, 1976, page A6.
Caption information source: “Getting the Wrinkles Out of the Elderly”, by Richard Hardesty, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 2, 1976, page A8.
Caption information source: “Maggie Kuhn, the wrinkled radical,l” by McKenna Britton, Presbyterian Historical Society, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian News Service, May 13, 2026. pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/2026/5/13/maggie-kuhn-wrinkled-radical. Retrieved June 12, 2026.