Juliet Magill Kinzie Gordon Low was the founder of Girl Scouting in the U.S.A. She was born on October 31, 1860 in Savannah, Georgia to a very prominent family - just a few months before the Civil War began. She was named for her grandmother, but was given the nickname "Daisy" soon after she was born. As a child she was very fond of animals, she loved drawing, and other artistic subjects, but she had trouble with mathematics and spelling.

On December 21, 1886, when she was 26 years old, Daisy Gordon married Willy Low. He was charming and handsome and from a very prominent family. At the time, she had already lost some of her hearing in one ear, and as she was leaving the ceremony, a grain of rice landed in her good ear and the doctor who removed it punctured her eardrum. Eventually, she became almost totally deaf.

After a few months, she went to live in England with her husband. Her British life was very much a continuation of the one she had in America, except that her friends and companions now had names famous in English history, and for the most part lived in castles, or manor houses or, in some instances, palaces. Their happiness together did not last and Daisy and Willy had agreed to divorce. Before proceedings were finalized, Willy became very ill and died in 1905.

Daisy met General Sir Robert Baden-Powell in 1910. He had founded the Boy Scouts and was a British military hero. They had a lot in common (a mutual interest in sculpting, among other things) and enjoyed each others company. Daisy looked to Sir Robert as an inspiration. She decided to help with the Girl Guides that his sister Miss Agnes Baden-Powell was forming of the nearly six thousand girls who registered when Sir Robert formed the Boy Scouts.

Daisy was 50 years old when she moved back to the U.S. to start Girl Scouts. Her niece, who was also named Daisy Gordon, was the first Girl Scout in the United States. She found a joy and a purpose in life in the organization of Girl Scouts and worked relentlessly for many years establishing a solid foundation for the movement. She personally donated, secured, and financed much of the Girl Scouting program needs in the United States for the first few years and her generosity was also felt overseas. She spent time at camps and knew many of the girls well. Although she never had any children of her own, she was loved by many all over the world.

Daisy Low died on January 18,1927 at home in Savannah after a long illness with cancer. She was buried in her Girl Scout uniform beside her parents in Laurel Grove Cemetery. In the breast pocket of her uniform was a folded telegram she received while she was ill that read "You are not only the first Girl Scout, you are the best Girl Scout of them all." All the Girl Scouts in Savannah lined the steps of Christ Church where the funeral service was conducted to bid farewell to a great woman who inspired them to be great women.

Girl Scouting today provides a safe, supportive way for girls to participate in projects involving computers and technology, careers, the environment, personal finance, and sports.