Our History

The Big Sister Association was founded in 1951 by three Cambridge residents: The Reverend Harold Taylor, Assistant Rector at Christ Church in Cambridge; Edith Taylor, a Cambridge police officer; and Frances Marley, an administrative assistant and legal consultant for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Believing that girls in their community could benefit from the guidance and support of an older female friend, they created a one-to-one mentoring program where girls (Little Sisters) were individually matched with caring and committed volunteers (Big Sisters). In 1952, this program was incorporated as The Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. In our first year, we matched six girls – in 2012, Big Sister served more than 2,600 girls.