Sallie was born in Detroit, MI in 1928 and credits her grandmother as a role model and someone who kindled her interest in politics and issues. She married Gardner Soule and they had two sons and two daughters. Together they owned Horseford's Nursery and after they sold that, Sallie became a partner in Bygone Books in Burlington. Always interested in women's issues she founded Vermont Women's Health Center in 1972. In 1977 she ran for the Vermont House of Representatives from Charlotte and Shelburne and served two terms before running for the Senate and serving until 1984. A believer in working together, Sallie played a leadership role in the "Old Girls' Network," a group of women executives and politicians in the 70s. In 1985 Madeleine Kunin appointed her as Vermont's Commissioner of Employment and Training. With a strong social conscience, Sallie has always been an activist and a promoter of women's rights and an advocate for community service.