continued to perform until the 1950s. In the late 1940s, jazz began to develop into bebop, and Gilbert's bands became steadily old-fashioned. By 1949, Gilbert was in high demand as a secretary and served on many committees at Local 47. With this section of her life coming to a close, it was clear that "her skill as a saxophonist and bandleader, combined with business acumen, flexibility, and good humor, allowed her to make a living and support her family throughout the depression and war years." 1950s and 1960s In 1951, Gilbert received permission from Local 47 to perform with Ada Leonard on KTTV television for a year. In 1953, she left her job at Local 47 for a job as secretary to the president of a barbecue manufacturing company, but she did not stay long at her new job, returning to Local 47 and working there until 1970. The late 1950s brought the rise of free jazz, and many of the women in Gilbert's generation were no longer performing. Gilbert, however, continued to play when she was asked, but she realized that she was too old to be performing live on a regular basis. She had to ask for approval from Local 47 to perform outside her office job. Gilbert continued to appear in films with her all-female groups, including The Second Time Around (1961). As jobs for musicians began to decline in the early sixties, Gilbert focused on helping younger musicians through Local 47. She was in charge of orientation sessions for new members, as well as served on the Trial Board and Board of Directors for many years. She was discouraged from performing while working there, but was seen on occasional TV shows and motion pictures. In July 1967, Gilbert was honored at a reunion of sixty women from the "Girls Big Band Era." The event was "a surprise tribute to one of the most loved and respected leaders of 'show biz'—Peggy Gilbert." The Dixie Belles Gilbert retired from Local 47 in January 1970, on her sixty-fifth birthday, but she continued to serve on the Trial Board of Local 47 until 1984, and in 1985, she was elected to be a Trustee of the Union. Gilbert founded a senior citizen Dixieland jazz group, The Dixie Belles, in the early 1970s, and they immediately had great success and began to perform regularly. In 1975, Gilbert put a group together