Juliette Gordon Low:
Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA
Juliette Gordon Low was born on October 31, 1860 in Savannah, Georgia. Her family
and friends called her "Daisy". Th house that Juliette lived in was later
purchased in 1953 by Girl Scouts of the USA and it is known as the Juliette Gordon
Low Girl Scout National Center.
When Juliette was younger, she suffered from chronic ear infections. Some of the
treatment that she received, caused her to lose most of her hearing in one ear.
During her teenage years, Juilette attended a boarding school in Virginia,
and later a French school in New York City. On December 21, 1886, Juliette
married a wealthy Englishman, William Mackay Low. On her wedding day, Juliette
lost hearing her hearing in the other ear, when a grain of rice was lodged in her
ear. The rice punctured her eardrum, causing complete loss of hearing. Juliette's
marriage did not last long, however, William Low died before the divorce process
started.
Juliette met Sir Robert Baden-Powell three years after he had started Boy Scouts in
1908. Several girls and women felt there was a need for a similar ofanization.
Powell asked his sister, Agnes, to start an orgaization for women. Girl Guides were
established in 1910. Juliette Low realized that women in America were missing out
on the Girl Guides/Scouts movement. The first troop meeting of Girl Scouts in the
United Startes took in Savannah on March 12th, 1912.
Walter Jonh Hoxie wrote the first American Girl Scout handbook. In 1916, Juiette Low
contributed to a newer version of the Girl Scout handbook. Juliette diead on
January 18th, 1927.
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