1951	Founded December 15, 1951, in Detroit by 11 public school retirees and 2 representatives of MEA as Michigan Retired Public School Employees Association (MRPSEA); contribution memberships (not dues) at $.25, $.50, $.75, or $1.00; MRPSEA Constitution approved and included “all public school employees may become members” and “the association shall maintain department status in the MEA and shall be a chapter of the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA)”; Michigan had approximately 800 annuitants.
1952	MRPSEA became a Department of MEA; first annual meeting in Detroit,50 in attendance; Jean McKay elected first MRPSEA president; in December, Muskegon chapter presented quarterly mimeographed publication called VANGUARD to the state organization; Anna Van Buskirk of Muskegon first editor.
1953	VANGUARD became official publication for MRPSEA - cost $.50 for ten (10) issues; MRPSEA, along with MEA, became legislatively active; 1,050 members.
1954	July 1, affiliated with NRTA; income tax exemption bill passed to exempt from up to $1,200 of retirement income.
1955	Proposed legislation relative to retroactive retirement laws; proposed legislation for recalculation of retirement annuities; 1,069 members, 5,100 annuitants.
1956	Rally at Capitol Building re: giving retired public school employees better annuity; legislation passed with recalculation clause to grant new retirement allowances; MRPSEA endorsed MEA resolution to make the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction appointive.
1957	Endorsed NRTA resolution to increase tax exemption on retirement income and provide Social Security for retired teachers over age 65; legislation introduced to raise minimum retirement benefits of qualified public school employees to $1,800 but died in committee.
1958	Legislation introduced again to increase minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 - again died in committee.
1959	Legislation again introduced to raise minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 - again died in committee; MRPSEA representatives testified at both Michigan hearings for U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Problems for the Aged and Aging.
1960	Legislation again introduced to raise minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 - again died in committee; BC/BS greatly increased benefits for retired public school employees; bill providing for State Committee on Aging passed; Michigan Retirement Fund Board, MEA and MRPSEA held first joint conference on pension reform.
1961	Legislation again introduced to raise minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 - again died in committee; MRPSEA became aware of misuse of retirement funds; PL 87-61 passed which liberalized the Social Security Act which allows men to also retire at age 62 and increased minimum monthly benefits from $33 to $40 per month for those who retire at age 65; 2,975 members.
1962	Legislation again introduced to raise minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 - again died in committee; 3,095 members.
1963	5 articles of legislation introduced to increase pensions for retired public school employees but all died in committees (MRSPEA President Edwin L. Clark helped prepare one bill that was defeated by only one vote); S.65 introduced to establish a Hospital Insurance Benefits program for retired persons financed through Social Security to provide hospital and nursing home care; 3,709 members.
1964	Legislation again introduced to raise minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 - again died in committee; MRPSEA Board met in the new MEA building; Michigan’s first Governor’s Conference on Aging was held; 3,963 members.
1965	MRPSEA Secretary appointed to Study Commission on Property Tax Relief for the Aging; Older Americans Act passed and established Administration on Aging in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare; Medicare laws passed; MRSPEA name changed to Michigan Retired Teachers Association (MRTA); revised MRTA Constitution and By-laws; July 23, SB 432 passed granting increase of minimum retirement benefits to $1,800 (after 9 years of trying); MRTA and NRTA honored Michigan Representative McCullough for her dedicated help in getting the pension increase passed; MRTA has 36 chapters.
1966	HB2160 passed to establish a fund for retired teachers through an annual appropriation of the retirement funds; First Distinguished Service Awards given; dues increased to $2.00 annually for everyone, life membership to $25.00; MRTA incorporated October 12, 1966; MRTA mailing system switched from addressograph to key-punch; 1st MRTA Tour; MRTA has 44 chapters.
1967	MRTA hired first part-time secretary, Virginia Armour; first MRTA office space in MEA building; Legislative Committee created; MRTA mileage expense allowance increased from .07/mile to .09/mile; MRTA supported legislation to raise minimum retirement benefits to $2,400; MRTA supported legislation to include a retired teacher on the Retirement Board; first area leadership training workshops were held; MRTA has 47 chapters; approximately 5,000 members.
1968	First Life Membership Cards distributed; Alvina Ward new office secretary; MRTA supports “Proposal M” which would allow retirees to join MRTA without joining MEA; MRTA supports legislation for adequate state appropriation, cost of living adjustments, comparable treatment for all annuitants, and earnings without loss of benefits; Battle Creek Chapter and NRTA initiated first Pre-retirement training session; 16,000 annuitants.
1969	MRTA Insurance Committee created; MRTA started answering members’ questions regarding health insurance coverage problems in VANGUARD; Opinion No. 4660, Michigan Attorney General ruled all Michigan retired teachers’ pensions are exempt from state income tax except for those in the Detroit system; Retirement Coordinating Council (RCC) founded; MRTA Legislative Fund implemented (to help fund MRTA legislative and RCC expenses); 4,894 members, 23,000 annuitants.
1970	MRTA Membership Committee created; developed retirement handbook; 5,313 members, 25 life memberships.
1971	MRTA implemented pilot program for “Voluntary Unified Membership Drive” with 9 chapters participating; RCC requested donations from local chapters; MRTA Constitution amended to include Affiliate, Associate, and Honorary memberships, and unified membership in MRTA, local chapters and NRTA; State Aid Bill passed to increase retired teachers’ minimum pension from $1,800 to $2,400 (after 6 years of trying); MRTA reimbursed directors’ mileage expense at 10/mile; 55 chapters; 6,561 members.
1972	Voluntary Unified Membership Drive is official; MRTA implemented Gift Certificate Membership program; School Aid Bill passed to allow retirees with less than $2,500 income to earn additional $1,500 without loss of benefits; minimum pension increased to $3,000 and teachers retired after 1956 to receive increase of 1% per year up to a maximum or 15%; 57 chapters; 40 life members; 29,000 annuitants.
1973	Supported property tax relief for retirees; president initiates “telephone chain” for legislative issues; first MARSP XTRA published and mailed to “all” retirees; 7,500 members.
1974	New constitution; name changed to Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP); ten (10) areas formed; annual dues increased to $5.00, life $50.00; Teacher Retirement Bill passed and included cost of living adjustment, 9,365 members.
1975	MARSP started reimbursing Annual Convention voting delegates mileage expense @ .06/mile; new MARSP logo/official seal; State of Michigan appropriated $70,000,000 of amount required to match pension fund; MARSP pushed for and got deletion of part of bill that would have forced state income tax on pensions; first Nominating Committee; MARSP members contributed articles to the Michigan edition of the “Pride in America” book; approximately 10,000 members, 40,000 annuitants.
1976	25th Anniversary; MARSP supported the RCC suit against the State of Michigan and the MPSERB for violating the State Constitution regarding the $70,000,000 appropriated from the Retirement Fund; publishing of VANGUARD moved to Lansing; published 1,000 copies of the “Michigan Pride in America” book; SB 122 passed to provide supplemental retirement allowance; 11,337 members, 1,503 life memberships, 39,000 annuitants.
1977
1978
1979
1980	Signed agreement with MEA (which many of us didn’t know about until the 1982-83 merger was proposed)
1981
1982	Dues increased to $10.00; House passed receipt of 13th check.
1983	MARSP membership rejected a merger proposal from MEA; MARSP became independent!; MARSP office moved to downtown Lansing; hired first Executive Director, Bonnie J. Carpenter; 16,684 members, 50,000 annuitants.
1984	New by-laws adopted.
1985	MARSP membership voted to withdraw membership in Retirement Coordinating Council and to retain a legal firm with a legislative agent to handle the lobbying affairs of the organization; 19,715 members.
1986	Direct Telephone Inquiry Unit for Blue Cross Group 59000 claims; toll free number made available nationwide – 1-800-422-9146; decision made to hold all future MARSP Annual Conventions in Lansing.
1987	MARSP office moved just outside city limits to 3410 Lansing Road, Lansing; 23,968 members.
1988	MARSP Foundation incorporated; Irving W. Burtt Building Fund established for new MARSP headquarters; 26,105 members.
1989	State divided into seventeen (17) areas; MARSP purchased property at corner of Jolly and Collins Roads in Lansing, adjacent to the Lansing Post Office, on which to build the MARSP Center; dues increased to $15.00; HB4559 passed to add vision, dental and hearing coverage to benefits; 32,856 members.
1990	Annual Convention became 2 day event and added vendor exhibits.
1991	MARSP Center construction began.
1992	April, MARSP staff moved into MARSP Center; Voluntary Benefit Defense Fund (VBDF) established; 41,325 members.
1993	Sponsored Capitol Rally to protest Defined Contribution legislation – over 1,500 retirees attended; MPSERS members rated MARSP as most important source of information for retirees and VANGUARD as most used publication by retirees.
1994	MARSP joined the Musselman v Governor case with the filing of amicus curaie brief.
1995	Filed a second amicus curaie brief in the Musselman v Governor case; Michigan divided into twenty-eight (28) areas and Florida into two (2) areas; expanded fall conferences schedule to include the out-of-state chapters in area formations.
1996	Added half day of workshops to Annual Convention creating 2-day convention; set-up internet site.
1997
1998	Sponsored Medicare + Choice before convention; 3,000 members attended.
1999	Convinced MPSERS Board to establish Feasibility Study Taskforce to look at pension increases; reduced fall/winter conferences to one half (1/2) of the areas one (1) year, and one half (1/2) the following year, which created a two (2)-year schedule to be repeated.
2000	Battled MPSERS Board over planned changes to Group 59000 Health Insurance; won delay of several items and accomplished establishment of study group; sponsored Capital Rally to protest prescription copay increase with over 2,000 members attending.
2001	50th Anniversary; sponsored 50th Anniversary Open House in October; actual 50th Anniversary date December 15, 2001; began presenting Pre-Retirement Information Meetings (PRIM) in individual school districts; VANGUARD available on-line.
2002	50th Annual Convention held.
2003 2004 2005	Amendment to MARSP Constitution passed to eliminate Annual Convention and hold business meetings at Area Conferences. Fall and Winter Conferences changed to Winter and Spring Conferences and Business Meetings; Dues renewal forms e-mailed to active members. Website is updated and issued a "secured site" so members can renew and pay their dues online; MARSP signed an agreement with Williams & Carroll, LLC to form MARSP Retirement Planning Services. Williams & Carroll will present MARSP PRIMs. Chapter Online Services. Chapters are able to access their membership online.