Lou Hoover was the wife of the 31stPresident of the United States Herbert Hoover. They met at Stanford when both were studying geology. As soon as they were married she accompanied her husband on his trips around the world as he became a world leader in the mining industry. When her husband was appointed Secretary of Commerce by President Harding and moved to Washington DC Lou was right there with him.
From an early age Lou was often found outdoors camping, fishing, and horseback riding. These qualities led the founder of the Girl Scouts of America to recruit Hoover to the organization’s leadership when the two met in the nation’s capital. Lou served two terms as President of the Girl Scouts, from 1925-1928 and again from 1935-1937. It was in her second stint as President that commercial bakers were used to make a product labeled “Girl Scout Cookies,” a move which launched the sale of cookies as a fundraiser nation-wide. Beginning with Lou Hoover, the incumbent First Lady is the honorary President of the Girl Scouts of America.
