Possibly accurate on a raw numbers basis. Quite untrue as a percentage.
1959 - 22.4%.
2010 - 15.1%.
Of course, difficult to compare over time due to multiple changes in definition.
In 1959, my family was poor. Dad lost his job when his company went out of business in the middle of a recession and things were very difficult. I can tell you with certainty the definitions of poverty have changed dramatically since that time. The so-called poor today live far better, have far more 'stuff,' and significantly less worries than we ever had even when Dad was working full time let alone when he lost his job.