Juliette Gordon Low
Encyclopedia
Juliette Gordon Low was an American youth leader and the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA
in 1912.
Captain in the American Civil War
and a Brigadier General in the United States army during the Spanish-American War. She was always called by her nickname "Daisy" to her friends and family. Another one of her nicknames was "Little Ship." She acquired this nickname while staying with her maternal grandparents John H. Kinzie
and Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie
in Chicago at the end of the Civil War. The families of Confederate officers were required to leave Savannah after the December 1864 surrender to General William T. Sherman. Daisy went with her mother, Eleanor Kinzie Gordon, and her sisters, Alice and Nelly. Daisy loved to hear the story about her great-grandmother, who was captured by Native Americans. Even though she was a captive, she was always joyful, so the Native Americans started calling her "Little-Ship-Under-Full-Sail." She was the adopted daughter of the Seneca
chief Cornplanter in the years she dwelt with the tribe. Eventually, the Seneca said they'd give Juliette's great-grandmother whatever gift she wanted, and she chose to go back home. The Seneca let her go. The shorter version of the nickname was bestowed on young Juliette. Daisy was always jumping into new games, hobbies, and ideas.
Juliette was educated in several prominent boarding schools, including the Virginia Female Institute (now Stuart Hall School
); Edgehill School run by Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters, the Misses Randolph; Miss Emmett's school in Morristown, NJ; and Mesdemoiselles Charbonniers, a French finishing school in New York City.
When she was about 25 years old, Juliette suffered an ear infection. She persuaded the doctor to try an experimental treatment, an injection of silver nitrate
. This treatment damaged her ear, causing her to lose a great deal of her hearing in that ear.
merchant in Savannah and England. His mother was a native of Savannah, Georgia
. Their wedding took place on December 21, 1886, which happened to be her parents' 29th wedding anniversary. A grain of rice
thrown at the wedding became lodged in Juliette's good ear. When it was removed, her ear drum was punctured and became infected, causing her to become mostly deaf in that ear. Her hearing was limited for the rest of her life. She used a variety of hearing horns and hearing aids.
Her marriage to Low was childless. The couple moved to England and after a two year search purchased Wellesbourne House in Warwickshire, not far from the Low home in Leamington Spa. Despite their intentions, the Lows never returned to live in Savannah, though they did visit the United States almost every year. They spent their summers in London, went to Scotland in the fall for the hunting season, and then usually visited the United States in the winter. Daisy also traveled to Europe between returning for annual visits to her parents and brothers in Savannah and her sister in New Jersey. She also traveled to Egypt and India after her husband died. During the Spanish-American War
, Daisy came back to America to aid in the war effort. She helped her mother organize a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers returning from Cuba
. Her father was commissioned as a general in the U.S. Army and served on the Puerto Rican Peace Commission.
hero (and founder of the Scouting
movement) Robert Baden-Powell
. The B-P recruited her to the Girl Guiding movement. He had gotten his sister Agnes
to organize the Girl Guides by recruiting the thousands of girls who had sprung up in scout troops across England. Daisy and Sir Robert (later Lord) Baden Powell shared a passion for sculpture, poetry and art. She also enjoyed working with iron. She had hired the Wellesbourne village blacksmith to teach her iron and copper smithing so she could create iron gates for her home, Wellesbourne House.
While in the UK, Daisy organized a troop in Scotland and two in London before she decided that she would start the movement on her next visit home to Savannah.
, 10 years old in 1912, grew up to be a famous American poet. He immortalized "Mrs. Low's House" in one of his poems. Eleanor was one of the first "Guide Mistresses" as they called leaders. Mr. Nash continued to pay rent for the carriage house even after it was converted for use by the Girl Guides, becoming one of the first financial supporters for the fledgling movement. The name of the organization was changed to Girl Scouts by 1913. The organization was incorporated in 1915, with Daisy serving as president until 1920 when she was granted the title of founder and turned all her attention to the world wide movement. "Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting can be the magic thread which links the girls of the world together"
In personality, Daisy was known for being eccentric and charming. One commonly related anecdote recounts how, at an early Scout board meeting, she stood on her head to display the new Girl Scout shoes that she happened to be wearing. She also wrote poems; sketched, wrote and acted in plays; and became a skilled painter and sculptor. She had many pets throughout her life and was particularly fond of exotic birds like her macaw and her parrot, Georgia mockingbirds, dogs, cats, and a few horses. Daisy was also known for her great sense of humor.
in 1923, but kept it a secret and continued diligently working for the Girl Scouts. Low died January 17, 1927, from cancer, and was buried in her Girl Scout uniform in Laurel Grove Cemetery
in Savannah.
tourists and locals can visit three historic sites which relate to the life of Juliette Gordon Low. The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is one of the most visited house museums in Georgia. She inherited The Andrew Low House after the death of her husband William Mackay Low in 1905, and The Girl Scout First Headquarters is the former carriage house of the Andrew Low family. Daisy converted the carriage house into her Girl Scout "club rooms" for the girls shortly by May or June 1912 and willed it to the local Savannah Girl Scouts upon her death in 1927.
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
in 1912.
Early life
Juliette Gordon Low's mother's family came from Chicago and her father was a ConfederateConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Captain in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and a Brigadier General in the United States army during the Spanish-American War. She was always called by her nickname "Daisy" to her friends and family. Another one of her nicknames was "Little Ship." She acquired this nickname while staying with her maternal grandparents John H. Kinzie
John H. Kinzie
John Harris Kinzie was the eldest son of John Kinzie, one of Chicago's first permanent settlers...
and Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie
Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie
Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie was an American, historian, writer and pioneer of the American midwest.-Biography:...
in Chicago at the end of the Civil War. The families of Confederate officers were required to leave Savannah after the December 1864 surrender to General William T. Sherman. Daisy went with her mother, Eleanor Kinzie Gordon, and her sisters, Alice and Nelly. Daisy loved to hear the story about her great-grandmother, who was captured by Native Americans. Even though she was a captive, she was always joyful, so the Native Americans started calling her "Little-Ship-Under-Full-Sail." She was the adopted daughter of the Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
chief Cornplanter in the years she dwelt with the tribe. Eventually, the Seneca said they'd give Juliette's great-grandmother whatever gift she wanted, and she chose to go back home. The Seneca let her go. The shorter version of the nickname was bestowed on young Juliette. Daisy was always jumping into new games, hobbies, and ideas.
Juliette was educated in several prominent boarding schools, including the Virginia Female Institute (now Stuart Hall School
Stuart Hall School
Stuart Hall School in Staunton, Virginia was founded by the Episcopal church as Virginia Female Institute in 1844. It was renamed in 1907 in honor of its most famous headmistress, Flora Cooke Stuart, the widow of Confederate cavalry leader Maj. Gen. J.E.B...
); Edgehill School run by Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters, the Misses Randolph; Miss Emmett's school in Morristown, NJ; and Mesdemoiselles Charbonniers, a French finishing school in New York City.
When she was about 25 years old, Juliette suffered an ear infection. She persuaded the doctor to try an experimental treatment, an injection of silver nitrate
Silver nitrate
Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . This compound is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides...
. This treatment damaged her ear, causing her to lose a great deal of her hearing in that ear.
Marriage
At the age of 26, she married William Mackay Low,Known as "Willy" to his family, but called "Billow" by Daisy the son of a wealthy cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
merchant in Savannah and England. His mother was a native of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. Their wedding took place on December 21, 1886, which happened to be her parents' 29th wedding anniversary. A grain of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
thrown at the wedding became lodged in Juliette's good ear. When it was removed, her ear drum was punctured and became infected, causing her to become mostly deaf in that ear. Her hearing was limited for the rest of her life. She used a variety of hearing horns and hearing aids.
Her marriage to Low was childless. The couple moved to England and after a two year search purchased Wellesbourne House in Warwickshire, not far from the Low home in Leamington Spa. Despite their intentions, the Lows never returned to live in Savannah, though they did visit the United States almost every year. They spent their summers in London, went to Scotland in the fall for the hunting season, and then usually visited the United States in the winter. Daisy also traveled to Europe between returning for annual visits to her parents and brothers in Savannah and her sister in New Jersey. She also traveled to Egypt and India after her husband died. During the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, Daisy came back to America to aid in the war effort. She helped her mother organize a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers returning from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Her father was commissioned as a general in the U.S. Army and served on the Puerto Rican Peace Commission.
Divorce
By 1901, her husband had repeatedly requested a divorce. Upon returning home from a visit, she discovered his mistress, Mrs. Anna Bateman, ensconced in their home, at which point she acquiesced. They were legally separated. However, her husband died from a stroke in 1905 before the divorce proceedings could be finalized. When his will was read Juliette learned that her husband had left his money and entire estate to his mistress, Mrs. Bateman, with only an allowance for Juliette to be administered by Mrs. Bateman. Juliette with the help of her British solicitor and her brother sued for the widow's portion.Introduction to the scouting movement
In 1911 Juliette met Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
hero (and founder of the Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
movement) Robert Baden-Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
. The B-P recruited her to the Girl Guiding movement. He had gotten his sister Agnes
Agnes Baden-Powell
Agnes Smyth Baden-Powell was the younger sister of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, and was most noted for her work in establishing the Girl Guide movement as a female counterpart to her older brother's Scouting Movement.-Early life:Agnes was the ninth of ten children, and the third...
to organize the Girl Guides by recruiting the thousands of girls who had sprung up in scout troops across England. Daisy and Sir Robert (later Lord) Baden Powell shared a passion for sculpture, poetry and art. She also enjoyed working with iron. She had hired the Wellesbourne village blacksmith to teach her iron and copper smithing so she could create iron gates for her home, Wellesbourne House.
While in the UK, Daisy organized a troop in Scotland and two in London before she decided that she would start the movement on her next visit home to Savannah.
Founding the Girl Scouts
On returning to America in 1912, Juliette placed her historic telephone call to her cousin, Nina Anderson Pape: "Come right over! I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" Her cousin was the founder of the Pape School in Savannah. They feverishly recruited girls and leaders throughout Savannah—from the Female Orphan Asylum to Synagogue Mickve Israel, to the steps of Christ Church, and the daughters of the powerful and influential families. On March 12, 1912, Daisy gathered 18 girls to register the first troup of American Girl Guides. Margaret "Daisy Doots" Gordon, her niece and namesake, was the first registered member, but did not attend the first meeting. by May 1912, Daisy was on her way back home to London, but her mother wrote her that some mysterious benefactor was converting carriage house behind the house Daisy was renting to the Nash family to "club rooms" for the Girl Guides. Daisy's mother guessed the benefactor was in fact Daisy. The Nash family were an illustrious occupant. OgdenOgden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
, 10 years old in 1912, grew up to be a famous American poet. He immortalized "Mrs. Low's House" in one of his poems. Eleanor was one of the first "Guide Mistresses" as they called leaders. Mr. Nash continued to pay rent for the carriage house even after it was converted for use by the Girl Guides, becoming one of the first financial supporters for the fledgling movement. The name of the organization was changed to Girl Scouts by 1913. The organization was incorporated in 1915, with Daisy serving as president until 1920 when she was granted the title of founder and turned all her attention to the world wide movement. "Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting can be the magic thread which links the girls of the world together"
In personality, Daisy was known for being eccentric and charming. One commonly related anecdote recounts how, at an early Scout board meeting, she stood on her head to display the new Girl Scout shoes that she happened to be wearing. She also wrote poems; sketched, wrote and acted in plays; and became a skilled painter and sculptor. She had many pets throughout her life and was particularly fond of exotic birds like her macaw and her parrot, Georgia mockingbirds, dogs, cats, and a few horses. Daisy was also known for her great sense of humor.
Death
Juliette Gordon Low developed breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 1923, but kept it a secret and continued diligently working for the Girl Scouts. Low died January 17, 1927, from cancer, and was buried in her Girl Scout uniform in Laurel Grove Cemetery
Laurel Grove Cemetery
Laurel Grove Cemetery is a cemetery located in midtown Savannah, Georgia. It includes the original cemetery for whites and a companion burial ground that was reserved for slaves and free people of color. The original cemetery has countless graves of many of Savannah's Confederate veterans of the...
in Savannah.
Family
Though she had no children, Low had many surviving relatives, including her niece, Peggy Seiler, who was the daughter of her brother George Arthur Gordon. She has a number of living great and great-great nieces and nephews in Savannah, New York, Boston, Denver and other cities.Museums
In Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
tourists and locals can visit three historic sites which relate to the life of Juliette Gordon Low. The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is one of the most visited house museums in Georgia. She inherited The Andrew Low House after the death of her husband William Mackay Low in 1905, and The Girl Scout First Headquarters is the former carriage house of the Andrew Low family. Daisy converted the carriage house into her Girl Scout "club rooms" for the girls shortly by May or June 1912 and willed it to the local Savannah Girl Scouts upon her death in 1927.
Honors
- During World War II, a Liberty shipLiberty shipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
was named after her, the SS Juliette Low, hull number 2446. This ship was launched in Savannah, Georgia, on May 12, 1944, and scrapped in 1972. - On July 3, 1948, President Harry S. TrumanHarry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
signed a bill authorizing a stamp in honor of Juliette Gordon Low. She was only the eighth woman to be honored with a stamp. There have been three Girl Scout U.S. postage stamps. - In 1953, Girl Scouts of the USA purchased and restored Juliette Low's childhood home in Savannah. It became known as the Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout National Center, and is often referred to in Scouting as the Birthplace. In 1965, the house was designated a registered National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. - In 1954, the city of Savannah, Georgia, honored her by naming a school after her. A Juliette Low School also exists in Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
and Arlington Heights, IllinoisArlington Heights, IllinoisArlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
. - On October 28, 1979, Juliette Low was inducted into the National Women's Hall of FameNational Women's Hall of FameThe National Women's Hall of Fame is an American institution. It was created in 1969 by a group of people in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention...
in Seneca FallsSeneca Falls (town), New YorkSeneca Falls is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 9,347 at the 2000 census.The Town of Seneca Falls contains a village also called Seneca Falls...
, New York. - On December 2, 1983, President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
signed a bill naming a new federal building in Savannah in honor of Juliette Low. It was the second federal building in US history to be named after a woman; the first was the Mary Switzer BuildingMary Switzer BuildingThe Mary Switzer Building, in Washington D.C., was dedicated in 1973. It was formerly the building for what was then known as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. For Mary E. Switzer's years of service to public welfare, and specifically to the championing of people with disabilities,...
. - In 1992, a Georgia non-profit group honored Juliette Low as one of the first Georgia Women of Achievement. A bust of Juliette Low is displayed in the State Capitol.
- In 2000, The Deaf World in Wax, a traveling exhibit, featured Juliette Low as a famous deaf American.
- In 2005, Juliette Low was honored as part of a new national monument in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
named The Extra Mile Points of Light Volunteer Pathway. The monument's medallions, laid into sidewalks adjacent to the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, form a one-mile walking path.
External links
- Inventory of the Gordon Family Papers, 1810-1968, in the Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. - New Georgia Encyclopedia
- History of the Girl Scouts of the USA
- Juliette Gordon Low biography — Women in History, LakewoodLakewood, OhioLakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland. The population was 52,131 at the 2010 making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, behind Cleveland and Parma .Lakewood, one of Cleveland's...
Public Library. - Juliette Gordon Low — National Women's Hall of Fame.
- Juliette Gordon Low Biography — Girl Scouts of the USA.
- A virtual tour of Juliette Gordon Low's childhood home in Savannah, Georgia— Historic Landmark: The 1821 Wayne-Gordon House
- http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/history/low_biography/