Ohio Wesleyan To Host First African American President Of Girl Scouts
Gloria Dean Randle Scott to Discuss Contributions of Girls and Women of Color to Scouting Feb. 23
DELAWARE, Ohio – One of Gloria Dean Randle Scott’s favorite quotations is “We must do and not just be.” And Scott, Ph.D., has spent her life doing – including making history in 1975 when she became the first African American president of Girl Scouts of the United States of America.
Scott will discuss “The Leadership Contribution of Girls and Women of Color to Girl Scouting” when she speaks Feb. 23 at Ohio Wesleyan University. She will speak at 7 p.m. in the Benes Rooms of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. The event is free and open to the public.
Scott was invited to campus by OWU senior Shelli Reeves of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Using a university-funded Theory-to-Practice Grant, Reeves developed a project to examine the history of the Black Girl Scouts (BGS) movement in U.S. 20th century history.
“Meeting Dr. Scott while I was doing research was an honor and privilege,” said Reeves, who is majoring in International Studies and Black World Studies and minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies and English. “During a stimulating eight-hour interview, Dr. Scott told me her journey to becoming the president of Girl Scouts, which includes being in a segregated troop and starting an initiative to increase involvement of girl scouts of color. Dr. Scott inspires me and will impact all who attend this event.”
During her time with the Girl Scouts, Scott is credited with transforming the face of the organization not only by involving more women of color, but also by changing its trefoil symbol to three faces that stand for the diversity of Girl Scouting and its focus on girls.
Throughout her life, Scott also has distinguished herself as a leader in higher education, serving as the 12th president of Bennett College, a historically black college for women affiliated with United Methodist Church, in Greensboro, North Carolina. While president of Bennett, she created and founded the Women’s Leadership Institute and, with Dr. Zulma Barrios, the National African American Women’s Leadership Institute.
Today, Scott is the president/owner of G. Randle Services, a consultant and training group that focuses on empowerment of leadership for women and girls. For her many contributions, Scott is featured in the Brian Lanker book, “I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women who Changed America.”
Scott’s Ohio Wesleyan visit is sponsored by Campus Girl Scouts, Sisters United, and Student Union on Black Awareness. It is being funded by the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 87 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,675 students represent 43 U.S. states and territories and 33 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.