Ruth Lana; Teacher, Advocate for Retired People

Ruth Lana, 91, nationally recognized teacher who worked to aid retired people. Born in Harlan, Iowa, Lana taught in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. She was recognized in 1965 as “teacher of the nation” at a nationwide teacher appreciation meeting in Los Angeles. Always concerned about how retirees could live well on modest pensions, in 1947 she helped Ethel Percy Andrus establish the National Retired Teachers Assn. and the better-known American Assn. of Retired Persons. Her goal initially was to help retired people save money on prescription drugs, and she helped start a mail-order drugstore that is now a mainstay of the AARP service and lobbying organization. In the 1960s, as director of travel and drug services for the AARP and the NRTA, she also planned trips for senior citizens, with special attention to their budget and health needs. On Friday in Long Beach.