Famous Former Girl Scouts

Famous Former Girl Scouts

Girl Scouting is linked to women's success!

Since 1912, nearly 50 million women in the United States have been members of Girl Scouting. As the world's preeminent organization for girls, GSUSA has long contributed to success among girls and women by offering opportunities for personal and leadership development, exposure to role models, and community involvement. It's no surprise, then, that many of those young girls went on to become accomplished professionals in a variety of fields. Girl Scouting lays the foundation for a solid future. Girls are offered a splendid opportunity to develop their leadership abilities, polish their problem-solving and critical thinking skills and learn how to function as team players.

Many women who are leaders in their fields credit Girl Scouting with helping them build the set of skills that paved their road to success. In order to better understand what success means to the women of America and what role Girl Scouting plays in their success, GSUSA commissioned a study, Defining Success: American Women, Achievement, and the Girl Scouts. The study conducted by Louis Harris & Associates, Inc., underscores just how strongly Girl Scouting is linked to success in later life. Using Who's Who in American Women as a source, 473 women were surveyed. Of that number, 64 percent said that they had belonged to the Girl Scouts. Today, these women are distinguished professionals, representing such fields as medicine, law, journalism, education, science, politics and finance. According to the study, Girl Scout alumnae have "strong positive memories" of a number of important experiences offered through Girl Scouting - such as trying new things, working with a group to accomplish a common goal, setting and achieving goals, and doing good things for the community. Most Girl Scout alumnae believe that experiences in Girl Scouting had a positive effect on their adult lives.

We would like to think that all of our former Girl Scouts are stars, but here are a few names you might be more familiar with:

Marion Anderson, Singer
Sarah Louise Arnold, Dean of Simmons College
Martina Arroyo, Soprano
Lucille Ball, Actress
Carol Bellamy, Politician
Candace Bergen, Actress
Polly Bergen, Actress
Veronica Biggins, Assistant to President Clinton
Shirley Temple Black, Actress
Dr. Joyce Brothers, Doctor/Writer
Erma Bombeck, Writer
Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer
Donna Caponi, Golfer
Mariah Carey, Singer
Rosalyn Carter, Former First Lady
Kitty Carlisle, Actress
Peggy Cass, Actress
Susie Chaffe, Skier, Entertainer
Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive Vice-President, AFL-CIO
Joie Chen, CNN Reporter
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator from New York & Former First Lady
Martha Layne Collins, Governor
Katie Couric, TV News Anchor
Sandra Dee, Actress
Bette Davis, Actress
Jan Davis, Astronaut
Elizabeth Dole, Former head of the Red Cross
Virginia Edwards, Editor, Education Week, and President, Editorial Projects in Education
Joy Fawcett, 1999 US Women's World Cup Team
Dorothy Felton, State Representative, Fulton County
Millicent Fenwick, Senator
Geraldine Ferraro, Politician
Pam Fields, Mrs. Fields Bakery
Dr. Anna Fisher, Astronaut
Carrie Fisher, Actress
Peggy Fleming, Skater
Marie Gaudette, Writer/Songwriter/Poet
Phyllis George, Actress
Linda Goodman, Astrologer
Ella Grasso, Governor
Florence Griffith-Joyner, Track & Field Olympic Gold Medalist
Cathy Guisewite, Cartoonist
Dorothy Hamill, Skater
Helen Hayes, Actress
Phyllis Heller, President, Buckhead Publishing
Celeste Holm, Actress
Lou Henry Hoover, Former First Lady
Tamara Jernigan, NASA astronaut
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Gold Medalist
Wynonna Judd, Singer
Nancy Kassenbaum, Senator
Grace Kelly, Actress/Princess
Ethel Kennedy, Matriarch of Political Family
Martha Keyes, Politician
Jean Kirkpatrick, Politician
Ann Landers, Advice Columnist

Dorothy Lamour, Actress
Shari Lewis, Puppeteer
Nancy Lopez, Golfer
Susan Lucci, Actress
Shannon Macmillan, 1999 US Women's World Cup Team
Christa McAuliffe, Teacher/Astronaut
Natalie Merchant, Musician
Barbara Mikulski, U. S. Senator from Maryland
Patsy Mink, Politician
Carol Moseley-Braun, U.S. Senator
Mary Tyler Moore, Actress
Minnie Mouse, Actress
Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Former President's Daughter
Pat Nixon, Former First Lady
Trisha Nixon Cox, Former President's Daughter
Jessye Norman, Opera Singer
Deborah Norville, TV News Anchor
Sandra Day O'Connor, Supreme Court Justice
Betsy Palmer, Actress
Libby Pataki, Wife of the Governor of New York
Jane Pauley, TV News Anchor
Queen Elizabeth II
Dixie Lee Ray, Governor
Nancy Reagan, Former First Lady
Janet Reno, U.S. Attorney General
Judy Resnick, Astronaut
Debbie Reynolds, Actress
Dr. Sally Ride, Astronaut
Cathy Rigby, Olympic Gymnast and TV Commentator
Chita Rivera, Actress
Pat Schroeder, Politician
Dr. Gloria Scott, Educator
Dr. Rhea Sedden, Astronaut
Dinah Shore, Performer
Dawn Staley, WNBA and 1998 Gold Medallist for Women's Basketball Team
Le Nett Stanley, State Representative, Fulton County
Gloria Steinem, Editor/Author/Women's Rights Activist
Kathy Sullivan, Astronaut
Catherine Switzer, TV Sports Reporter
Susan Taylor, editor-in-chief, Essence magazine
Shirley Temple Black, Actress/Ambassador/CampFire Girl
Marlo Thomas, Actress
Cheryl Tiegs, Model
Kathleen Turner, Actress
Abigail Van Buren, Advice Columnist
Judith Viorst, Author
Barbara Walters, TV Anchor
Christine Todd Whitman, former Governor of New Jersey, Presidential Cabinet member
Venus Williams, Tennis Pro
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, Former First Lady
Judy Woodruff, Anchor and Senior Correspondent, CNN

AND THE LIST GOES ON...

BUSINESS

EDUCATORS

ELECTED OFFICIALS

FIRST FAMILY

GOVERNMENT (Cabinet & Administration)

HEALTH, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

JUDGES

LAW ENFORCEMENT

MEDIA

MILITARY

PERFORMING ARTS

PUBLISHING

SPORTS

WRITER/AUTHOR

OTHER