History, especially American history, has always been Miss Betty’s passion. When she was a child her family moved to Washington, DC, just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. DC was and is the center of American history and Betty spent every spare moment at the main library and the city’s many museums. Later, after the family crossed the Potomac to settle in Virginia, Betty’s high school history teacher, Dr. Dorothy Torpey, opened up a window into the hearts and minds of the people who lived and made history. “Dr. Torpey brought it all to life with the skill of a gifted storyteller,” recalls Betty. “I’ve been following her example ever since.”

Washington, DC Public Library where Miss Betty spent many hours as a history student.

Betty has never had a job she didn’t love. Beginning her government career at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute she worked with a diverse group of experts who were training personnel to implement the Marshall Plan, which lifted Europe from the ashes of WWII. She later worked with Consultant to the Secretary of State Adlai Stevenson and Sen. Hubert Humphrey at the Office of United Nations Affairs.

Secretary of State
Adlai Stevenson

Sen. Hubert Humphrey

President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Cardinal Josef
Mindszenty

One of the highlights of that job was being called to work on a Saturday morning in November 1956 and remaining there until Sunday afternoon because of the Hungarian revolt. Under the direction of Acting Secretary of State Herbert Hoover, Jr., Betty placed the call to the White House, where President Eisenhower was recovering from surgery, requesting political asylum for Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty. Eisenhower approved and the Cardinal remained at the Embassy until 1971, when he was given refuge in Vienna, Austria.

In the early 60’s Betty found herself at the Air Force’s office of Manned Space Flight which eventually became NASA. Betty served as liaison between the military and the new Agency. In 1967 she was transferred to another newly created agency, the Department of Transportation, working for its first Secretary, Alan S. Boyd. In 1969 she began a 23 year career at the Federal Railroad Administration where she was involved in the creation of Conrail and Amtrak, as well as the restoration of DC’s Union Station. For her efforts Betty received the Secretary’s Silver Metal for meritorious service.

In addition to her work in government, Betty supervised the operation of her ailing father’s sand and gravel business from 1956 until 1964. In 1957, she and her grandmother were given approval from the State of Virginia and the City of Alexandria to open the first assisted living facility in the Del Ray section of town. In her spare time Betty opened and operated her own printing business and spent evenings and weekends working for the family attorney.

The beautifully restored Union Station in Washington, DC

Retiring from government service in 1992, Betty worked for the Washington office of the National Dairy Board and Alexandria’s Ramsay House Visitor Center. She later joined her brother Steve Doss’s Footsteps To The Past, which provides waking tours of historic Old Town Alexandria. Miss Betty was born soon after, fashioned after her long ago teacher and mentor Dr. Dorothy Torpey. Today Betty describes herself simply as a history-loving grandmother.

Betty leads yet another tour group through historic Old Town Alexandria, VA. She conducts 2 - 4 tours a day, each tour over 2 miles.

Betty enjoys a warm relationship with her brother and business partner Steve Doss, who also wrote the music score for "George Washington's Hometown: Alexandria, VA."

Betty waits for a crane shot to be set up on a chilly autumn morning at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House's cemetery. In the background: Steve Doss and 2nd unit cameraman Ross Stansfield.