Mrs. Danna
Danna, Doris Andrews, was born in 1929 in Alton, Illinois, the only child of William and Freda Andrews.
At age 10, she didn’t know what an architect was, but was approached by a stranger while sketching her school building for the school newspaper. He asked, “Are you going to be an architect when you grow up?” As trained by her mother, she promptly turned to the dictionary to discover what the word “architect” meant. That brief encounter planted a seed, and in 1952, Doris graduated as one of just two women in the School of Architecture at Washington University.
Doris worked for Emmet Layton, who instilled in her a fascination with the use of natural elements in design. She married her classmate, Charles Danna, and raised three children in a Kirkwood home they designed together.
As her children got older, Doris became increasingly involved in professional activities. Her educational background, work ethic, organizational skills and willingness to learn, combined with a winning personality, brought many opportunities her way. Her forte was facilitating collaborations involving K-12 educators, architecture students, historians, writers, civic leaders, and the public.
While working at the St. Louis American Institute of Architects office, she produced the chapter’s guidebook to local architecture and initiated a series of 12 charrettes, intense 36-hour design competitions based on a local design problem. She was also very active in historic preservation and Kirkwood civic issues. Doris became the first female president of the St. Louis AIA in 1991 and president of the Landmarks Association in 1993. She received the honors of AIA Fellow in 1995, AIA Gold Honor in 2004, and as recently as 2023 the H. Meade Summers Jr. Award from the Landmarks Association.
Sometimes referring to herself as “an architect without a building,” Doris lived a full life that is a testament to possibilities that arise from lifelong learning, being open to new paths and collaborations, and simply following the Golden Rule. She was also an extraordinary mother to Susan, Paul, and Eve, and grandmother to Gabriela, Tony, Claire and Lily.
A memorial service was held on April 20 at First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood.
