About AARP Chapter, #490

The American Association for Retired Person, Schenectady County Chapter #490, was established on April 4, 1968. In 2004, Chapter #490 disbanded due to a combination of the declining membership and passing of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, which the Chapter fought for during its lifetime along with the national AARP headquarters.

The members of Chapter #490 were dedicated to caring for elderly, most notable access to Medicare and prescription drugs. The members were encouraged by the Chapter and the national AARP, to write letters to Congressmen, Senators, and politicians of their local governments. While fighting for their cause, the members of Chapter #490 also donated funds to the local charities and the community, including Proctors of Schenectady. Chapter #490 also held events exclusively for members and for the community to raise money for charities and the Annie Schaefer Senior Citizens Center (where most Chapter meetings were held).

During the lifetime of Chapter #490, the members published a newsletter, The Reporter. To keep active and nonactive members of the chapter aware and up to date on the Chapter’s activities. One particularly active member of Chapter #490, is Helen Quirini, whose collection of papers is also held at M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collection and Archives. Helen Quirini was especially interested in New York legislation and Medicare. Most presidents of Chapter #490, held the position for two years but often were past members of the Executive Board.

Presidents of Chapter #490*

George Lunge 1969-1970

Herbert Neil 1971-1972

Otto Weres 1972-1974

Stannard Butler 1974-1975

Harold Hall 1975-1977

Edson D. Huntley 1977-1979

Alice VanLandingham 1976-

Otto Mantei 1979-1981

Norma Correll 1981-1982

Ben Wollner 1983-1985

Joseph Williams 1987-1989

Helen Quirini 1986-1990

Rhoda Murray 1992-

Sonya Deiber 1996-1997

Ron Alheim 1997-

*There is no official list of presidents in the collection. This list was constructed by the processor based on information from The Reporter and Executive Board meeting minutes, hence the missing dates. By the mid-1990s, the position of the president is not clear in the collection and completely lost by the 2000s.