Ginger Wadsworth - First Girl Scout: The Life of Juliette Gordon Low

Clarion Books, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003
Copyright 2012 by Ginger Wadsworth

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write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company,
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Text set in Fairfield LH
Book design by Sara Gillingham

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wadsworth, Ginger.
First Girl Scout : the life of Juliette Gordon Low / Ginger Wadsworth.
p. cm.
Summary: "Juliette (Daisy) Gordon Low was a remarkable woman with ideas that were ahead of her time. She witnessed
important eras in U.S. history, from the Civil War and Reconstruction to westward expansion to post-World War I. And she
made history by founding the first national organization to bring girls from all backgrounds into the out-of-doors. Daisy created
controversy by encouraging them to prepare not only for traditional homemaking but also for roles as professional womenin the
arts, sciences, and businessand for active citizenship outside the home. Her group also welcomed girls with disabilities at a time
when they were usually excluded.
Includes author's note, source notes, bibliography, timeline, places to visit, recipes, The Girl Scout Promise and Law, and sheet
music for the favorite scout song "Make New Friends.""Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-547-24394-8 (hardback)
1. Low, Juliette Gordon, 18601927Juvenile literature. 2. Girl Scouts of the United States of AmericaHistoryJuvenile
literature. 3. Girl ScoutsUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. I. Title.
HS3268.2.L68W33 2012 369.463092dc22 [B] 2011009642

This book is not authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by Girl Scouts of the USA. The GIRL SCOUT name, mark, and all
associated trademarks and logotypes are owned by Girl Scouts of the USA.

Images used by permission of the Girl Scouts of the USA are identified at the end of each caption by the following abbreviations:
JGLBJuliette Gordon Low Birthplace, Savannah, Georgia
NHPCNational Historic Preservation Center, New York City

Manufactured in China
LEO 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
4500311905

For Ann, Gretchen, Bev, Daira, Cheryl,
Barbara, Sandy, Susanna, Heather, Carole, April,
Betty, Sandy, Chrissy, Margo, and the
rest of the gang who belonged to Troop 695.
Friends forever!

Edward Hughes, a popular London artist, painted this portrait of Juliette Gordon Low. The large oil painting now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.National Portrait Gallery

A S A WRITER , I rely on e-mail, the Internet, library access, snail mail, and a cell phone, but I can only do so much from my desk in the way of research. I needed to "walk" in Juliette (Daisy) Gordon Low's footsteps as much as possible.

My first trip took me (and my husband, Bill) to Savannah, Georgia, where Daisy was born and raised. The staff at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace (JGLB) generously shared Daisy's diary, letters, newspapers, articles, and images with us. The Birthplace is a busy hub! While we worked, the phone rang constantly as people from around the world called to ask questions, arrange visits, and more. Fran Powell Harold, director of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, Katherine K. Keena, program manager, and other staff members graciously helped us despite their hectic schedules.

We toured the Birthplace, both inside and out, and we did additional research at the Georgia Historical Society, also in Savannah. We took a docent-led tour of the Andrew Low House, where Daisy lived as a bride and at the end of her life. The director, Stephen Bohlin, and his assistant, Kate Greene, provided images and relayed answers about the Low House and Daisy's menagerie of pets. Jami Brantley, collections manager/curator at the First Girl Scout Headquarters, answered our many questions when we met her there. Then we went to Laurel Grove Cemetery, where Daisy and her family are buried, and saw Christ Church. Just being in Savannah gave us a rich sense of Daisy's roots.

I went to New York City, where I studied the Juliette Gordon Low archives at the National Historic Preservation Center (NHPC) located within the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) National Headquarters. Thanks go to Yevgeniya Gribov, archivist, for her enthusiasm and for directing me to relevant materials in their collection.

I traveled to London and saw the spot in Buckingham Palace where Daisy was presented at court, and I walked around Grosvenor Square, where she lived for several years. Exploring London gave me a glimpse into Daisy's world in Great Britain.

In between these trips, I was back in my chair in front of my computer and still relying on many people and sources to help illuminate the countless aspects of Daisy's fascinating life.

Girl Guide experts in Great Britain sent me articles, copies of photographs, and answers to a number of questions. Thank you, Karen Stapley, archivist, and others. From Daniel Scott-Davies, archive and heritage manager of the Scout Association in London, I learned about the formation of the Boy Scouts in Great Britain. Spencer Howard, archivist from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa, provided help regarding Lou Henry Hoover. Nora Lewis, director of library and archives at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, and other staff members assisted me with image selections and research. Neil Bauman, executive director, and Hugh Hetherington at the Hearing Aid Museum (www.hearingaidmuseum.com) shared helpful information about how Daisy may have coped with her hearing impairment. Carol Johnson loaned me her Girl Scout handbook, and other friends showed me their badges, sashes, and Girl Scout memorabilia and shared remembrances that helped ignite my own fond memories as a Girl Scout and heightened my enthusiasm to "put pen to paper." Staff at the San Diego Girl Scout Council even helped me confirm details of my early days in Girl Scouting.

Lynne Polvino, my editor at Clarion Books, has supported me from day one on this project, and her skillful, insightful editing has richly improved this book. Special thanks go to my husband, Bill Wadsworth. He is not only a great travel partner but a tough and thoughtful editor.

My GSUSA contacts in Savannah and New York continued to answer questions, uncover photos, and provide additional nuggets of information along the way, and I am grateful for their advice and patience. Along with Pamela Cruz, director of the NHPC, Bettye Bradley, vice president of corporate administration, and others, they reviewed the text for accuracy. I did my best to incorporate all their suggestions, and any inaccuracies are mine.

Daisy often traveled back and forth between England and America with her pets, including this beloved parrot, Polly Poons.Girl Scouts of the USA-JGLB

A FTER LEAVING GREAT BRITAIN , the ocean liner SS Arcadian rocked and rolled in the storm-churned sea. Most of the 320 first-class passengers elected to stay safely in their staterooms ... except Juliette Gordon Low.

Daisy as everyone called her, couldn't sit still for long. Instead, she paced the halls of the steamship, trying to sort out her thoughts. A group called the Girl Guides had formed recently in Great Britain, modeled on the worldwide youth movement the Boy Scouts. Daisy had become involved with the young women's organization during her time in Europe, and she liked their emphasis on physical fitness, camping, nature study, first aid, and friendship among girls and women around the world.