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Get the most interesting and important stories from the 51精品视频.Frances Hesselbein, a 51精品视频 visionary and one of the world鈥檚 鈥榞reatest leaders,鈥 has died at 107
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, leader of leaders and influential 51精品视频 figure Frances Hesselbein died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 11, at her home in Easton, Pennsylvania, at 107.
Hesselbein left her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and rose to spend more than seven decades in the world of executive management, becoming a transformational, motivational and global figure along the way. A skilled and sensitive visionary, she inspired students, CEOs and a long list of others to pursue service, inclusion and community as key values to leadership.
The former CEO of Girl Scouts said her guiding motto was 鈥渢o serve is to live,鈥 as she believed that the bottom line was measured not in dollars and cents but in changed lives.
鈥淔rances鈥 actions and example shaped generations of leaders听at听a time when smart and sensible governance has never been more critical. And her personal credo 鈥 to serve is to live 鈥 infused听her听every step,鈥 Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said. 鈥淎t the 51精品视频, we are honored to do our part to continue sharing her听story and legacy through initiatives like the Hesselbein听Global听Academy听for Student听Leadership听and Civic Engagement and the Hesselbein Lecture Series. She was a beloved member of our University community, and I extend my deepest condolences to her family and many loved ones during this difficult time.鈥
Hesselbein received numer颅ous awards from the University, includ颅ing an honorary doctoral degree in 2001, a University medallion as a distinguished alumna and induc颅tion into the inaugural group of preeminent alumni called Legacy Laureates.
In 2009, 51精品视频 established the Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement to honor her and advance her life鈥檚 work. When the academy opened, Hesselbein said, it 鈥渋s all about leadership, ethics and destiny 鈥 our times call for ethical leaders with a moral compass that works full time.鈥
The academy brings together student leaders from across the globe with the aim to produce experienced and ethical leaders who will address critical national and international issues and advance positive social and economic initiatives throughout the world.
In 2017, 51精品视频鈥檚 Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) launched the , formerly the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute. Managed by GSPIA鈥檚 Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership, the forum became a place where research and learning advance the art and science of leadership and public service. Among other programming, the forum hosts a lecture series and continued the publication of the award-winning .
鈥淔rances Hesselbein inspired all of us with her 鈥榯o serve is to live鈥 philosophy.听She demonstrated this approach throughout her career 鈥 through her words, through her engagement with others and truly in all aspects of her life,鈥 GSPIA Dean Carissa Slotterback said.听
鈥淪he helped develop, amplify and demonstrate a conception of leadership that goes well beyond formal leadership positions and roles. She has truly helped all of us to understand that leadership is deeply personal and an act of love and care for others. We are so grateful host the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum at 51精品视频 and GSPIA, as an enduring home for learning and engagement inspired by her work.鈥
When Gallagher thanked Hesselbein in 2021 for her continued support of the academy, she told him, 鈥淚 love being part of the 51精品视频 community. I know that our future is bright when we invest and support our student leaders. And our students are remarkable!鈥
Hesselbein鈥檚 impact
Kenyon R. Bonner, vice provost for student affairs, reflected on the warmth, service and influence the thoughtful leader left behind.
鈥淔rances Hesselbein鈥檚 legacy is profound and will persist in the lives of the people and organizations she impacted throughout her long and meaningful career. Her philosophy of service and leadership conveys a deep understanding of humanity, a spirit of selflessness and a devotion to people. I am grateful for her vision and investment in future leaders around the world through the 51精品视频鈥檚 Hesselbein Global Academy, which 51精品视频 had the honor of hosting with Frances for 14 years.
Sarah Popovich, assistant director of leadership education in the Division of Student Affairs, served as manager of the Hesselbein Global Academy.
鈥淔rances Hesselbein鈥檚 teachings and leadership philosophies have provided a robust foundation and guiding force for the Hesselbein Global Academy鈥檚 curriculum.听Her messages, such as 鈥榯o serve is to live鈥 and 鈥leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do,鈥 strongly resonate with academy participants well after their participation has concluded,鈥 Popovich said.
鈥淚t is incredible to hear stories from alumni about how the academy and Frances鈥 teachings continue to have an important role in their own leadership journeys,鈥 she added.听鈥淗er generosity and commitment to mentoring young leaders is truly inspirational. Her legacy will live on in the many lives she has touched throughout her life, mine included.鈥
In the summer of 2017, Albert Tanjaya was a 51精品视频 sophomore majoring in computer science. He was also the youngest participant in the Hesselbein Global Academy, where he had a chance to meet Hesselbein.
鈥淪he was this living legend,鈥 he recalled.
He was impressed with her energy and her ability to attract and influence people from different walks of life. 鈥淪he seemed to connect with everyone,鈥 said the native of Oakland, California, where he now works as a consultant on ethical issues of artificial intelligence enterprises.
Tanjaya (SCI 鈥20) went on to serve for two additional years as a mentor with the Hesselbein Global Academy. 鈥淭hey gave me the leadership philosophy I follow today,鈥 he said, 鈥淚 carried the idea of 鈥榯o serve is to do鈥 into student government and my young adult life and professional world.鈥
Hesselbein鈥檚 leadership acumen has been recognized across not just at 51精品视频 and in higher education circles, but also the military, civic and community engagement organizations and private enterprise.
In 2015, Fortune magazine ranked her as putting her in company with figures such as Pope Francis, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Mark Zuckerberg, cofounder and CEO of Meta.
Hesselbein was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America鈥檚 highest civilian honor, by President Bill Clinton in 1998 for her leadership as CEO of Girl Scouts of the United States of America from 1976-1990, as well as her service as 鈥渁 pioneer for women, volunteerism, diversity and opportunity.鈥 Her contributions were also recognized by President George H. W. Bush, who appointed her to the Presidential Commission on National and on Community Service.
From 2009-2011, Hesselbein served as the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership听at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the Department of Behavioral Sciences听and Leadership. She was the first woman and the first non-graduate to serve in this position.
A lifetime of leadership
Hesselbein credited the 51精品视频 with launching her on the path to leadership.
In the early 1930s, as a 17-year-old, she managed to scrape together $235 to attend one semester at the 51精品视频 at Johnstown, which at the time comprised just two floors in Johnstown High School. Six weeks into that first semester, her father died, and she had to trade full-time classes for a full-time job. But she said those 51精品视频 classes, which she managed to take in the evenings and on Saturdays, inspired a passion for lifelong learning.听
鈥淚t was the most amazingly rich education, and those two floors became magic 鈥 an inspiring symbol of excellence and equal access,鈥 Hesselbein told a University audience in 2010. 鈥淢y journey began long ago at my beloved 51精品视频 and continues to this day.鈥澨
It was also in Johnstown, in 1960, that she began her engagement with the Girl Scouts. There she was asked to volunteer as leader of local Troop 17. 鈥淚鈥檒l stay six weeks,鈥 she recalled telling the group.
Instead, Hesselbein stayed eight years, rapidly adding executive responsibilities and advancing into leadership that eventually carried her into the executive suites of Park Avenue.
Hesselbein climbed the ranks of the Girl Scouts, becoming CEO in 1976 and a modernizing force during a time of change for women in America.
In 1991, Hesselbein became head of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, the forerunner of today鈥檚 Leader to Leader Institute. The foundation supported exceptional leadership across societal sectors, emphasizing shared social responsibilities.
The institute, which eventually moved to GSPIA and became the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum, prided itself on its mission, which Hesselbein often recited by heart and with feeling: 鈥淏uilding a society of healthy children, strong families, decent housing, good schools and work that dignifies.鈥
Drucker died in 2005, and Hesselbein continued to promote his foundation鈥檚 values through the Leader to Leader Institute.
No matter her achievement, though, the 51精品视频 remained a vital part of Hesselbein鈥檚 life.
She donated to the University鈥檚 Archives and Special Collections the records of her work with the Girl Scouts and materials from her Leadership Institute. The also include personal items, such as paper records, videocassettes, audiotapes, photographs and CDs that she collected throughout her career.
When Fortune magazine recognized her, it said Hesselbein was a remarkably vital leader with peak global stature who led for a long time. She responded that, 鈥淎ge is irrelevant; it is what you do with your life that matters."
Over the course of her life, Hesselbein served on many nonprofit and private sector corporate boards, including Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, the Bright China Social Fund, California Institute of Advanced Management and Teachers College, Columbia University Presidents Advisory Council. She served as the chair of the National Board of Directors for Volunteers of America from 2002-2006. In 2013, Volunteers of America honored her with the Maud Ballington Booth Legacy Award for a lifetime of pioneering social change.
For her exceptional work and commitment to developing leaders of all ages, as demonstrated in her work with the Hesselbein Institute, she earned lifetime achievement awards from ATHENA International, Best Practice Institute, the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York and the International Leadership Association. She was inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame and as a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania.
Hesselbein was named a senior leader at the United States Military Academy鈥檚 2008听National Conference on Ethics in America. In 2007, she was awarded the John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship by Fulbright New Zealand and was the first recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Security Award in 2003.
She was the recipient of 22 honorary doctoral degrees, the co-editor of 35 books in 21 languages and the author of several books. Hesselbein traveled to 68 countries representing the United States.
She was preceded in death by her husband John Hesselbein (BUS 鈥35) and son.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum, or ,听or the .
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鈥 Ervin Dyer