History of the North Nashville-Meharry Area Chapter #2534 of the AARP, Incorporated
This Chapter received its charter May 10, 1976 from the National Organization, now known as AARP. It evolved from a club called the 49ers (Friendship Club) at Meharry Medical College as a pre�tetirement program directive of the President, Dr. Lloyd C. Elam. Mrs. Willie H. Taylor, Director of Geriatrics, Community Mental Health Center was appointed committee chairman and Mrs. Dorothy Webster, Personnel Director, was appointed co-chairman. Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Webster were the cataiysts in the founding of a committee representing employees of both the college and its hospital, George W. Hubbard. Members were Mrs. Jean Morton, Mrs. Edna W.ood, Mrs. Mattie Leach, Dr. Delores Shockley, Mrs. Jane Washington, Ms. Eunice Bagwell, Mrs. Polly Pullen, and Mr. Wayne Williams. Consultants were Mrs. Katherine Houston, Mr. David Stewart and Mrs. Helen Bratcher. Eight workshops, lasting two hours each, were sc'9eduled every Tuesday at noon. Thirty-two employees attended the first workshop. A prelude to the 49ers were Mrs. Evelyn V. Chappell, Mrs. Richardene Crutcher, Ms. Eleanor Grice, Mrs. Martha P. Jones, Mrs. Eliza Ladd and Mrs. Eula P. Readus. Putting thoughts into practice; a number of participants in the first two workshops formed their own organization in order to continue their plans and reach out into the community. Mrs. Richardene Crutcher, a member of both the National AARP Organization and the Meharry 49ers, suggested that the latter become a member of AARP. An application for membership was submitted. The Charter for North Nashville-Meharry Area Chapter #2534 was issued May 10, 1976 and was delivered by the District Director, Mr. Turley M. Oakley.
Pioneers in AARP Legislation
Mr. Robert Everett, Jr., first Chapter lobbyist
Capitol City Task Force
Mr. Russell Merriweather, lobbyist
Mrs. Rosa Mimms, lobbyist
Mrs. Wilda Seibert, lobbyist
State Legislative Committee
Mrs. Wilda Seibert, lobbyist
The Capitol Gang Committee
Mr. Russell Merriweather, lobbyist
Mrs. Gwen Vincent, lobbyist
AARP Nashville Area Regional Impact Team (RIT)
Mrs. Audrey Hall, Associate RIT Leader
Mrs. Jamesenia Shelton, Regional Chapter Liaison
Mrs. Rosa Mimms organized Tennessee's first AARP Day on Capitol Hill in 1995, as well as the second Tennessee Day in 1997. Mrs. Mimms was an elected member of the Tennessee Delegation to the AARP Biennial Convention held in Anaheim, California in 1994.
In the writing of this history in 2006, most of the oral information was given by Mrs. Edna Woods, a founding member. The 2009 revision of the 2006 oral history was taken from a publication of Meharry Medical College, Vol. V, No. 5, November 1975. P. 18. Both the revision and the updating of the chapter history were done by the Historian, Mrs. Rosa Mimms, October 2009.