What Is the American Association of Retired Persons?

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is the largest membership organization in the United States for people aged 50 years and older. Almost half of all Americans in this age bracket are AARP members. However 44% of AARP members work full or part time. For this reason, in 1999 the American Association of Retired Persons officially shortened its name to AARP. The AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

In 1947 Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired high school principal, founded the National Retired Teachers Association to address the need for health insurance among retired teachers and to promote her philosophy of productive aging. In 1958 Andrus established the American Association of Retired Persons to address the needs of all older Americans. As of 2008 AARP had more than 39 million members. In addition to its national headquarters in Washington, D.C., AARP has offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and more than 2,500 local chapters.

AARP’s mission is to improve the quality of life for older people through:

• Information and education
• Advocacy on consumer, legal, and legislative issues
• Promotion of community service
• Providing its members with a wide range of products and services

In support of its mission, AARP:

- Publishes a bimonthly magazine and various other materials focusing on issues relevant to older Americans

- Conducts research and surveys of its membership

- Takes public positions on issues and presents those positions to lawmakers and regulatory bodies

- Undertakes litigation in the interests of older Americans

- Sponsors numerous community education and service programs

From its initial role in providing its members with group health insurance, AARP has expanded its activities in many directions including other types of insurance, travel discounts and programs, credit card services, investment programs, and legal services. You can learn more about AARP and its programs and services at http://www.aarp.org.