Grace Lonergan Lorch (c. 1903-1974) was a teacher and civil rights activist best known for her work as a white escort for the Little Rock Nine.
[1] Grace Lonergan married her husband Lee Lorch in 1943 as he was about to leave for military service in World War II.
They and their infant daughter, Alice, moved into New York City's Stuyvesant Town and fought to desegregate the housing development bringing the issue to a head by allowing a black family to live in their apartment as guests.
Grace Lorch arrived, having just dropped off her daughter at a nearby junior high, rescued Eckford and escorted her home.
Dynamite was placed in their garage, they were harassed in the press, Alice faced bullying at school and Grace was subpoenaed by the Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security.