It’s Girl Scout Cookie Day, so in honor of this delicious “holiday,” we’re sharing this photo of First Lady Lou Hoover.
Lou was very involved with the Girls Scouts. She was a troop leader and later a board member. Lou received her investiture pin from Girl Scout Founder Juliette Gordon Low in 1917 when she was installed as the Acting Commissioner of the Washington, DC, Girl Scout Council.
In this photo from the Hoover Library, Lou is speaking from the President’s Study in the White House on a special Girl Scouts program. Lois Kuhn (left) and Peggy Starr were also there to talk about what Girls Scouts had done to help the Woman’s Division of the President’s Emergency Committee (March 23, 1931).
For more on Lou Hoover’s adventurous life: http://blogs.archives.gov/prologue/?p=8369
-from the National Archives
Independence Day in Independence, Missouri!
A Boy Scout and Girl Scout ring the Liberty Bell replica at the Harry S. Truman Library. 7/4/59.
-from the Truman Library
Source: trumanlibrary.org
Whether they are in Tokyo, Japan, or Washington, DC, the Girl Scouts have met with the 13 First Ladies of our Presidential Libraries. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, we’ve found some pictures of Girls Scouts and First Ladies.
This weekend, the U.S. National Archives has planned some great activities for Girl Scouts who visit D.C. for “Girl Scouts Rock the Mall.” Join us!
Source: facebook.com
The Girl Scouts “Little House”
The “Little House” was set up in the early 1920s in Washington, DC to serve as the headquarters for demonstrating the home-making activities of the Girl Scouts.
First Lady Lou Hoover was closely involved with the Girl Scouts. In 1930 Mrs. Hoover commissioned a New York craftsman to make, at her expense, an exact reproduction doll house of the original “Little House,” including dolls dressed in Scout uniforms and even the paper on the walls. See it here.
Happy 100th birthday to the Girl Scouts of America!
Rosalynn Carter with representatives from the Girl Scouts of America, 03/11/1977
Happy Centennial Celebrations to the Girl Scouts!
Source: research.archives.gov
Congratulations to the Girls Scouts on their 100 year anniversary today!
First Lady Pat Nixon speaking with Girl Scouts during her visit to their New York City headquarters.
In 2012 we’re celebrating the centennials of two First Ladies, Patricia Nixon and Lady Bird Johnson, and the Girl Scouts. Woo hoo for the ladies!
from the Nixon Library, Photo # C2907-14
Lou Henry Hoover at the oven with a Girl Scout Troop - Could they be baking up some Girl Scout Cookies?
The Girl Scout movement was First Lady Lou’s passion. She once said:
“I was a Scout years ago, before the movement ever started, when my father took me hunting, fishing and hiking in the mountains. Then I was sorry that more girls could not have what I had. When I learned of the movement I thought, here is what I always wanted other girls to have.”
Source: hoover.archives.gov
Happy Birthday Juliette Low!
The founder of the American Girl Scouts was born on October 31, 1860.
What’s your favorite kind of Girl Scout cookie?
US First Lady Lou Hoover (1874-1944)
- Desegregated White House functions
- Only First Lady (so far) to speak an Asian language. Sometimes Herbert and Lou would speak Chinese to foil eavesdroppers.
- Along with her husband, she translated Agricola’s De Re Metallica from Latin. It is still the standard English translation today.
- Decorated by King Albert I for her work with Belgian refugees during WWI.
- First women to receive a geology degree from Stanford University
- Advocate for Girl Scouting
