Hope Bagger was New York representative for the Gray Panthers during the 1970s and was an influential member of the organization. More information about her life can be found in the book "Gray Panthers" by Paul Sanjek (University of Pennsylvania Press, Feb 28, 2012).
In 1972 at age 81, Hope convinced New York Assemblyman Franz Leichter to introduce a bill banning mandatory retirement in the state.
According to the book "Gray Panthers," Hope was a union organizer in Detroit during the 1930s. She moved to New York with her husband, a naval officer, in 1934, and worked as a teacher and in the manpower industry until age 80. "I had noted how hard it was for older people to get or keep jobs and I determined to work on that problem as a volunteer as soon as I retired."
