11 Things You Didn't Know About Juliette Gordon Low

Every story has a beginning. For Girl Scouts, that story begins with Juliette Gordon Low, a Georgia native who wanted to create a program for girls where they can develop courage, confidence, and character. Want to learn more about this amazing woman? Keep reading!

1. Juliette Gordon Low was born in Savannah, Georgia on October 31, 1860. Her home is now the Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout National Center and serves as a National Historic Landmark where Girl Scouts visit each year.

2. She loved sports! Not only was she a strong swimmer, but she was Captain of her rowing team and learned how to canoe later in life. She also played tennis!

3. Some of her hobbies included writing poems, sketching, painting, and sculpting. She also had an affinity for Georgia Mockingbirds, exotic birds, and dogs.

4. Juliette married William Mackay Low when she was 26-years-old and moved to England.

5. She lost hearing in her ear after a grain of rice thrown at her wedding lodged in her ear and caused damage.

6. Juliette came back to the United States to assist with the Spanish-American War effort, and helped her mother organize a hospital for wounded soldiers.

7. After meeting Sir Robert Baden-Powell (founder of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides) in 1911, Juliette started Girl Scouts in 1912 when she was 51-years-old. She put together a group of girls and registered them as American Girl Guides.

8. Juliette encouraged the girls to learn about the outdoors, prepare to be homemakers and career women, and taught them how to be resourceful.

9. She used her own money to provide the Girl Scouts with educational things to do, but when she desperately needed funds, she sold her pearls to get the girls through another year. 

10. Around the 1920s and 1930s, the Girl Scouts baked their own sugar cookies at home and sold them door-to-door for 25 cents per dozen.

11. In 1927, Juliette lost her battle with breast cancer and passed away at the age of 67.

Do you have more Juliette Gordon Low trivia that you'd like to share? Comment below!