Lutie Gray

1945-49

Mrs. Lutie M. Gray, who took her post as second president of CalRTA (1945-1949) was a worthy successor to its founder.  She had “earned her spurs” in her local group where she had been instrumental in bringing about the affiliation of the rival teacher groups of Los Angeles called ATOLA.  She also encouraged affiliation with the Teachers Credit Union, Occidental Group Insurance and the Ross Loos Medical Group.  The one who called her “the old battle-ax” knew not how well the name applied to her work for CRTA as she wielded her axe with both hands for the benefit of retired teachers.  She began with 17 divisions and 1340 CRTA members.  The need for better retirement income was backed by many individuals and groups.  Buried by court decision was the bugaboo that state funds could not be paid to retired teachers.  Lutie threw herself into a campaign of solicitation for funds to work for legislation to better payments for retirees.  She recognized the necessity of showing a need.  The data collected showed the following: (a) 80% had no income other than retirement salary; (b) 90% did not own their own homes; (c) 40% were taking care of dependents at a great saving to the State.  Lutie began a campaign to raise retiree payments from $60 to $100 a month.  The response was encouraging as the divisions contributed $10,600.  (She had sent a pin to be enclosed with the check).  She and Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus went to Sacramento but found they needed legal assistance.  They hired Ray Eberhard for $3000 to write a satisfactory bill, AB1625.  With their help it was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, Earl Warren.  This raised the pay for retirees from $60 to $100 a month – a notable achievement in its day.

Other achievements of her administration included: (a) affiliation with CTA, a real advantage in future legislation; (b) increase of dues, state and local, shared half and half, from $1.00 to $2.00; (c) at a State Board meeting in Berkeley, October 14,1947, on proposal of Dr. Andrus, the organization of the National Retired Teachers Association.  Dr. Andrus was elected president, with Californians Alice Reiterman as treasurer, and Lutie Gray and Katherine Carr as board members.  On motion of C. W. Preston, CRTA voted $100 for the treasury of the new organization.  So, in the NRTA as well as in CRTA, little acorns were used to grow great oaks.  It is small wonder that the national organization has had such an infusion of blood from California, including two of the three presidents to this date (1972), with possibility of others in the future, and with a strong part of the staff at the Long Beach headquarters. 

                Lutie Gray passed away January 4, 1967 at the age of ninety, and the Spring 1967 issue of the California Pioneer Teacher (p. 3) contained a photo and a remembrance stating she had been honored by the Los Angeles Division in recognition of her work, and that the City Council of Los Angeles had voted her “Teacher of the City” in 1956.  In Lutie’s last year as president, Katherine Carr wrote of her in the September 1948 California Pioneer Teacher, “Tireless energy, the ability to make even the laziest of her staff work and like it, the ability to recognize defeat, and imperturbable good humor – that is Lutie Gray who is leading CRTA for the fourth year.”