The 1968 movie “Wild in the Streets” put forth a proposition that all people over 30 years old be placed in "retirement homes" where they are forced to take LSD, taking the 1960s mantra "Never trust anyone over 30" to the extreme. But it seems that neglecting or discounting the contributions of our elders is something that has unfortunately become part of American culture. In an effort to remind us of the contributions of those who were past middle age, I thought I would post a few facts:

- Famous trumpeter Louis Armstrong is the oldest recording artist with a number 1 hit record: “Hello Dolly” which he recorded in 1964.

- Dorothy Geeben ofOcean Breeze Park,Florida, at age 96 was the oldest mayor in theUnited States.

- Betty White was the oldest host of Saturday Night Live at 88 years old

- Clifford Batt is the oldest person to swim theEnglish Channelat 67 years old in 1987

- The oldest Oscar winner was Jessica Tandy for her wonderful role in Driving Miss Daisy.

- The oldest author when published was Sarah Louise Delany with her 1997 book, “On My Own at 107.”

And let’s not forget professional sports notables Satchel Paige at 59 (baseball), Gordie Howe at 52 (hockey), Jerry Barber at 77 (golf), Buddy Helms at 87 (auto racing), Skip Hall at 64 (mixed martial arts), John Whittemore at 104 (track and field) and legions of others.

As Mark Twain said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” Go show a senior that they matter to you today.

Peter Radsliff
CEO, Presto Services Inc.
Chairman, Aging TechnologyAlliance