Eugeny
Dorothy Hughes
Dorothy Hughes was a Kenyan architect,
politician, social reformer and disability activist, the founder of the Kenyan
Council of Social Services and head of the Sports Association for the Disabled.
The first East African female architect, she's known for her design of the
Cathedral of the Holy Family in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
Background
Ethnicity: She was born in London, UK, but spent all
her childhood and adult life in Kenya.
Although both her parents were britishmen and Dorothy was born in the UK, when
she was 3 years old her family moved to Rift Valley town of Eldoret in Uasin
Gishu County, in 1913, constructing the second building in that town. She spent
all her chidhood in Kenya and have belonged to this country with all her heart.
Education
During her childhood Dorothy studied in Kenya but
then decided to continue her education in the UK.
Career
Dorothy was a very active woman who tried to
succeed in every sphere but architecture was her true passion. She became a
Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1946 and opened an
architectural firm, Hughes and Polkinghorne, designing such structures as the
Golden Beach Hotel,Murangi House, the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, the Rift
Valley Sports Club, and St. Mary’s school.
Achievements
- Became the
first East African female architect and created lots of remarkable
buildings which are still considered to be true pearls of architecture in
Nairobi.
Works
building
(The
Cathedral has a modernist style and non-figurative st...)
house
- Murangi House
(Murangi
Houses are the chain of the hotels which offer co...)
Religion
Because of her beliefs and religion as well as
membership in New Kenya Party, she lost her seat of the official in 1961.
Politics
Dorothy believed in cooperation that's why she
entered to the first multi-racial political party in Kenya which was founded to
counter African nationalism and European conservatism and called for
independence with a multiracial coalition government.
Views
Dorothy was an active person who never lost her
enthusiasm. She always worked and had pretty active political and social
positions which let her to achieve many goals among which is the construction
of numerous socially friendly buildings like hospitals and cathedrals, schools
and other educational enterprises. She believed Kenya could be a better place
and she did her best to improve the women's situation in Kenya and Africa in
general. Her legacy is still alive, the firm she founded still exists, the buildings
she constructed are still the ornament of the city and the memory about her
will live for many decades as she has always tried to leave her trace in this
world.
Personality
Dorothy was a
person who seemed to never get tired. She was always doing some kind of work,
whether political or architectural, she had a big loving family and was trying
to make Kenya a country with opportunities and first of all a country which
would be considered as a safe one for women. She fought for women's rights and
did everything to achieve the aims of making Kenya a place where people are
able to live happily.
Physical Characteristics: She
was an attractive charismatic woman who was never afraid of being a leader.
Connections
She was married to the Kenyan Ford
agent, John Hughes, who later founded Hughes Motors. Subsequently, the couple
had 6 children
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