She was born near Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 29, 1875. She was the daughter of a New York attorney, Theodore Terry and Louisa Jane Lampkin, a noble lady from Illinois. She spent her childhood between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs, Texas, on her parents' ranch, "La Pendencia".

Florence Terry Griswold was exposed to writing and journalism through her father, Theodore, who founded in 1886 the first newspaper, "The Javelin", in Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs. She excelled as a writer in said newspaper, which is still active in that area today.

Florence was married twice. The first time was in 1894 to cattleman Felix Shaw, from whom she was widowed in 1908. After this painful episode, Florence learned to take control of three ranches and to educate her four children by herself, proving to be a very intelligent, advanced and resolute woman for that era.

She married a second time in 1914 to a successful insurance executive, John Case Griswold and moved to San Antonio, Texas.

When the Mexican nation found itself fragmented by years of civil war which included the overthrow of President Porfirio Díaz, the assassination of his successor, Francisco I. Madero and the confrontations of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa since 1910, the exodus of Mexicans who were fleeing from poverty and death was very sad. Florence witnessed with sadness how women, elders and children attempted to cross the Río Grande. She received word of the deaths of many of them and the mistreatment they received at the border from their own fellow countrymen.

Due to her gifts in the field of oratory and writing and her innate leadership, in addition to being one of the most prosperous women in Texas, Florence cultivated meaningful relations with highly placed dignitaries from the United States and other countries of America, relations that she used to channel her mission on behalf of promoting respect among the citizens of the American nations.

She believed that the disregard and lack of love towards one another caused the horrors that she had witnessed in Texas, a border state with México.

With the leadership spirit that characterized her, Florence Terry Griswold, summoned other noble ladies to establish centers of assistance that provided meals, clothing and shelter to those who were fleeing the war in México and sent countless communications to United States dignitaries so that they would support her in her mission. As a result, the first Pan American Round Table was born in San Antonio, Texas, on October 16, 1916, during an event celebrated in the Menger Hotel. Being an avid reader, she was inspired on the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table for the name of her organization (a circle without beginning nor end, that symbolizes perpetual union, equality of opportunity and representation). From Alexander Dumas with his three musketeers she extracted the motto that inspires her followers even today, "One for All and All for One", and from Venezuelan Simón Bolívar, she took the idea of the union of the countries of the continent into one heart.

Griswold gathered a group of women who worked meticulously with her to form an organization with the express purpose of providing, in a mutual manner, the knowledge, understanding and friendship among the individuals of the western hemisphere and promote actions on behalf of the women and children of the Americas.

The women who were present on that eventful day and who were the founding members were:

Mrs. Florence Terry Griswold
Mrs. W.S. Hendrick,
Mrs. A.B. Weakley
Mrs. A.C. Pancoast
Mrs. Henry Drought
Mrs. W.A. Daniel
Mrs. J.R. Sprague
Mrs. T.W. Campbell
Mrs. Eli Hetzberg
Mrs. E.R. Richardson
Mrs. A.R. Thomas
Mrs. Cora Davenport
Mrs. Carlos Bee
Mrs. J. Tom Williams
Mrs. Roy Campbell
Mrs. Harry Landa
Mrs. Joseph Burton Dibrell
Mrs. Roy Deitel
Mrs. Winchester Kelso
Mrs. Mabel Hanna Davis
Mrs. H.F. Muliken
Mrs. Leo Joseph

Griswold became the first Director General and adopted the official title used by the Director of the Pan American Union. She also adopted one of the statutes of said organization (now known as the OAS) establishing that the Round Table members represent each one of the American republics. At the same time, she expressed hope that Canada would be interested in joining the cause in the future. Cooperation with the Pan American Union and collaboration with its policy, especially the principle that only through fostering education, friendship and understanding between the American nations, allowed Florence Terry Griswold to create an organization that is still alive today.

On February 22, 1922, the first State Convention of Pan American Round Tables was held at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, with the attendance of the four existing Tables: San Antonio, Laredo, El Paso and Austin, Texas.

Florence worked with dedication until she died in 1941, but not without first seeing her seed bear fruit. Her remains were interred in San Antonio, Texas.

Three years after her death, Florence's dream of "crossing borders" became a reality - on October 23 - 27, 1944, the first International Convention took place in México City, during which the Alliance of Pan American Round Tables was formed. Delegates from 13 Tables from the United States, two from México, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, San Jose de Costa Rica and Havana, Cuba, attended.

At the present time, the Alliance of Pan American Round Tables coordinates the work of more than 7,000 women and youths and juvenile groups of the Pan American Round Tables in 19 countries of the continent.