Posts Tagged "Harry Truman"

Happy Birthday, Juliette Gordon Low!

Juliette Low PatchI’m going to guess that if you’re reading this site, you already know who Juliette Gordon Low is.  Today, aside from being Halloween, is her birthday.  This would be a great opportunity to teach your girls more about the history of Girl Scouting and the life of it’s founder, fondly known in her youth as “Daisy”.

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, was born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon on October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia.  On December 21, 1886, her parents’ 29th wedding anniversary, Juliette married William Mackay Low, a wealthy Englishman, at Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. Although the couple moved to England, Juliette continued her travels and divided her time between the British Isles and America.

Here’s a few cool facts about her:

  • On July 3, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill authoring a stamp in honor of Juliette Gordon Low.  The stamp was one of the few dedicated to women.
  • During World War II, she had a “Liberty Ship” named in her honor.
  • In 1954, in Georgia, the city of Savannah honored her by naming a school for her.  A Juliette Low School also exists in Anaheim, CA.
  • On October 28, 1979, Juliette Low was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY.
  • On December 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill naming a new federal building in Savannah in honor of Juliette Low.  It was the second federal building in history to be named after a woman.
  • In 1992, a Georgia non-profit 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 her as a famous deaf American.
  • On October 14, 2005, Juliette Low’s life work was immortalized in a commemorative, bronze-and-granite medallion as part of a new national monument in Washington, D.C.  The Extra Mile Points of Light Volunteer Pathway pays tribute to great Americans who build their dreams into movements that have created enduring change in America.  The monument’s medallions, laid into sidewalks adjacent to the White House, form a one-mile walking path.
Read More