Senior Action Coalition Records, 1960-1980

Biography/History

The Senior Action Coalition (SAC), organized as an outgrowth of the 1971 White House Conference on Aging, was an umbrella group for over seventy senior citizens groups in Milwaukee County, including recreational, civic, and religious organizations. Its purposes were to inspire the elderly to grow actively and continue to be vital forces in the community; and to work together to create meaningful social change that would promote the health, happiness and well-being of older adults. The coalition formally incorporated itself in the spring of 1973. Its membership included both volunteer and paid staff members. The organization originally started as an all-volunteer entity, but added government-funded personnel in 1975.

The Coalition dissolved on June 30, 1980 after its CETA funds were cut. SAC had first received CETA funds in 1975 to obtain staff to assist the organization with office management, grant writing, and day-to-day activities. Its volunteer members began to drift away as a result, and when the CETA funds were cut, no one was there to replace the staff.

SAC Presidents

1972-1974 William Kessleman
1974 Rev. William Shook
1974-1975 Edward Detwiler
1975 Sister Donata Lins
1975 Irene Lauder
1976-1980 Anne Sery