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specimens” (https://stanfordmag.org/contents/stanford-history-a-
snapshot). However, on a class field trip she quickly convinced her
classmates that she was more at home in the wilds than many of them
when she vaulted over a fence as they discussed how to help her.
While J.C. Branner encouraged Lou Henry to pursue a career in
geology, she was disappointed that he did not offer her an assis-
tantship, and whereas he envisioned her working in the classroom
and lab, she wanted to do research and observation in the field.
Branner encouraged her to pursue graduate work leading to teach-
ing, but prospects were not encouraging. Meanwhile she was cor-
responding with Bert, who had graduated and was working in
Australia as a mining engineer.

WORK WITH MINING ENGINEER HERBERT
HOOVER
In late 1898 from Australia, with a job offer in hand to advise
China in mining and development, Bert Hoover wired Lou a pro- Lou Hoover (standing) led lessons on wartime vegetable gardening, here
with some Girl Scouts, circa 1918. Courtesy Herbert Hoover Presidential
posal along the lines of “Going to China via San Francisco. Will Library, photo 31-1918-19.
you go with me?” They were married on 10 February 1899 and left
for China the next day, but their work in China was cut short by organization on the importance of food conservation during the
the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. In the following years, Lou and Bert war. Soon after, founder Juliette Gordon Low invited her to
Hoover would travel around the world following Bert’s profession, become acting Girl Scout commissioner for the District of
a lifestyle that Lou relished. They would see Australia, New Columbia. A few years later, Lou agreed to become a leader of
Zealand, Burma, Ceylon, India, Egypt, Russia, and most of west- Troop VIII, but only after reading various materials put out by the
ern Europe. Theirs was to be a full partnership. Girl Scouts. “I myself made a very careful study of the programs
In 1907, they settled in London. Visiting the British Museum, of … organizations dealing with recreational and educational
Lou saw a copy of Gregorius Agricola’s 1556 treatise on mining, activities of high school-aged young people … and I found …
De Re Metallica, which she had originally seen in Branner’s lab. there was just no comparison possible between the Girl Scouts and
Finding no suitable translation, and because Lou was proficient in any other organization of its class” (quoted in Christian, 1994).
Latin, the geologic couple decided to provide one—she’d do the A former member of her troop VIII recalled, “Mrs. Hoover was
translation of what had been termed an “untranslatable” text, he the the ideal leader for this group. We were fired with her enthusiasm
explanation and interpretation of the mining procedures and equip- … she was generally interested in all of us …. She taught me
ment described therein. Agricola had in fact invented many of the about birds to pass my bird finder badge at the National Museum,
terms, as they did not exist in Latin, which led the couple to develop encouraged me to know more about trees …, and when I was
a library of earlier mining treatises in order to understand Agricola’s working on my nature badges, took me all through her house, and
own knowledge. In Lou’s part of their acceptance speech for the made me tell the source, method of processing, and reason for
1914 Gold Medal from the Mining and Metallurgical Society of using practically every metal or stone in her home—and she knew
America, she spoke of learning to persevere in “unraveling this her geology.” Lou Hoover helped write the “rock finder” badge,
great tangle of knotted string.” her favorite, yet “she was always surprised how many girls
Lou also helped her husband in the preparation and copyediting preferred homemaking badges to outdoor ones” (quotes from
of the text Principles of Mining: Valuation, Organization and Christian, 1994).
Administration: Copper, Gold, Lead, Silver, Tin and Zinc (H. Hoover, No doubt inspired by Lou, her younger sister Jean Henry Large
1909). She influenced him to include in the book a chapter on charac- wrote three books (the “Nancy series”) about Girl Scouting: Nancy
ter building and ethical principles for young engineers. Goes Girl Scouting (1927), Nancy’s Lone Girl Scouts (1930), and
In 1911, while traveling England, Lou Henry Hoover had the Nancy Goes Camping (1931). “Lone Girl Scouts” was a program
opportunity to meet pioneering seismologist John Milne, who was Lou Hoover helped pioneer to serve girls living in outlying, under-
living on the Isle of Wight. Recognizing the importance of his populated places, so individuals could join and participate in scout-
work, she interviewed him and wrote an article describing his ing without having to belong to a troop. Lou also worked to generate
time in Japan and his fundamental efforts in seismometry and private support so that Scout dues alone would not be the sole sup-
earthquake monitoring. That same year, J.C. Branner nominated port of the organization.
Lou Henry Hoover for membership in the Seismological Society In the 1920s, with the rapid expansion of newspaper and radio
of America (incorporated 1910); she was quickly elected and reportage of amateur and professional sports, the National
remained a member until her death. Her 1912 paper on John Milne Amateur Athletic Federation was founded. In 1923, Lou Hoover,
was among the first published by the society. a strong advocate of physical fitness for girls and women, was
named vice president, with the task of creating a women’s divi-
INFLUENCE ON GIRL SCOUTING AND WOMEN’S sion, and thereafter served as president of that division for the next
SPORTS 18 years. In this role, she addressed philosophic differences over
Beginning in 1917, Lou became involved in the Girl Scouts of competition versus participation, issues of facilities and space for
America. She first accepted an invitation to address the fledgling women, and the persistent lack of qualified women’s coaches.
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