Mary C. (Mary C. Currey) Dorris

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 28, 1850, Mary Clementia Currey Dorris was educated at Ward Seminary and later married journalist Duncan Robertson Dorris. She became closely identified with the Ladies' Hermitage Association, the group that worked to preserve Andrew Jackson’s home, and she served as one of its founders, its first secretary, and later its regent.

Much of her writing grew directly from that work. Dorris wrote Preservation of the Hermitage, 1889–1915 and The Hermitage, Home of General Andrew Jackson, books that combine historical record with a strong sense of place and public memory. Her work helped shape how visitors understood the Hermitage and its importance in Tennessee history.

She died in Nashville on April 18, 1924. Today, she is remembered not only as an author, but also as a determined preservationist whose writing and leadership helped protect a landmark that might otherwise have been lost.