Gladys Rebecca Quander Tancil (January 31, 1921 – November 5, 2002)[3] was an American tour guide who was the first African-American to work as a historical interpreter at George Washington's Mount Vernon.
[6] One of her daughters, Nancy Quander, worked as a spinner on George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon.
[5] Smith, her sister, and their aunt worked as house cleaners, a role that Tancil shared before becoming an interpreter.
[7] Tancil's first career was in government service, first in the Office of Emergency Management and then the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, and the Navy Department.
[5] Tancil was one of the staff members to lead the "Slave Life" tour at Mount Vernon beginning in April 1995.