About
Dr. Melissa Langley Biegert is an award-winning writer, historian, and public speaker who lives in Austin, Texas. She has been a professional writer since the age of seventeen, when she was hired as a reporter for the “Mena Star” newspaper in rural Arkansas. She earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard University, where she wrote for the "Crimson" newspaper. After earning her master's degree from Vanderbilt University she spent ten years as an editor for Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, during which time she also earned a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. She has continued to work as an educator and freelance writer throughout her career. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including "The Journal of Southern History," "The Oxford Companion to United States History," and "Writer's Digest." She is the author of the book "The Family Behind the Girl Scouts of America: Lives of the Kinzie-Gordon Clan, 1750s-1950s" (McFarland, 2026).
Featured Work
The Family Behind the Girl Scouts of America: Lives of the Kinzie-Gordon Clan, 1750s-1950s
In 1912, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low launched what became one of the 20th century’s most successful organizations for girls, eclipsing the generations of male politicians, business leaders, and scoundrels who had brought prosperity and notoriety to her family. Her parents’ marriage united two leading American families–the Northern Kinzies and the Southern Gordons–and nearly ruptured because of the U.S. Civil War, yet their unwavering love and support, as well as that of her siblings, helped Daisy overcome physical challenges and a scandalous divorce battle that shocked Victorian society. Spanning 200 years across multiple continents and told for the first time in its entirety, this account of the Kinzie-Gordon family encompasses Scottish immigrants, numerous famous figures, Indigenous cultures, and enslaved workers. Their story reflects the history of the United States itself through tragedy, triumph, and love.
