Frances Hesselbein facts for kids

Frances Hesselbein (born November 1, 1915 – died December 11, 2022) was an amazing American leader and writer. She lived to be 107 years old! She is best known for leading the Girl Scouts of the USA for many years. She also helped create a special group that teaches people how to be great leaders.

Becoming a Leader

Frances Hesselbein started her journey by taking classes at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 1936. She began working with the Girl Scouts as a volunteer. She loved helping young girls grow and learn.

Leading the Girl Scouts

From 1965 to 1976, Frances worked her way up in the Girl Scouts. She started as a volunteer troop leader. Then, she became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 1976. She held this important job for 13 years, until 1990.

During her time as CEO, the Girl Scouts grew a lot. They had 2.25 million girls as members. They also had 780,000 adults helping out. Most of these helpers were volunteers. Frances helped make the Girl Scouts a huge success!

After the Girl Scouts

In 1990, Frances left the Girl Scouts. She went on to lead another important group. This group was first called the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management. It taught people how to be good leaders in non-profit organizations.

After Peter Drucker passed away, the foundation was renamed in Frances's honor in 2012. It is now known as the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute. This shows how much people respected her leadership skills.

In 2009, Frances also helped start the Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. This academy is at the University of Pittsburgh. It helps students learn how to be leaders and get involved in their communities.

Books and Writings

Frances Hesselbein was also a talented writer. She wrote two books about leadership:

• Hesselbein on Leadership
• My Life in Leadership

She also helped edit 27 other books. These books have been translated into 29 different languages. This means her ideas about leadership reached people all over the world!

Awards and Recognition

Frances Hesselbein received many honors for her hard work.

Presidential Medal of Freedom

In 1998, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in the United States. She earned it for her amazing work with the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Other Honors

The University of Pittsburgh recognized her as a Pitt Legacy Laureate in 2000. She also received 22 honorary doctoral degrees. These are special degrees given to people who have achieved great things.

Personal Life

Frances Hesselbein was married to John Hesselbein. She lived a very long and full life. She turned 100 years old in November 2015. Frances passed away at her home in Easton, Pennsylvania, on December 11, 2022. She was 107 years old.