Dorothy Marie Miner Morningside Resident & Preservationist

New York has lost one of its sharpest minds, iron wills and gracious hearts. Our dear friend Dorothy Marie Miner passed away Tuesday night.

Dorothy served as the counsel for the Landmarks Preservation Commission for two decades, furiously protecting the integrity of the Landmarks Law and guiding the Commission through some of its toughest legal challenges. She played a critical role in the 1978 Penn Central case, which upheld not only the designation of Grand Central Terminal but also the constitutionality of local governments to protect historic buildings.

After leaving theCommission in 1994, Dorothy continued to be active in the preservation worldoffering her expertise to many non-profit and civic organizations. She was a dedicated and inspiring professor at Columbia's Historic Preservation
program, Pace University School of Law, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Dorothy was an integral part of the Municipal Art Society, serving on all four of its professional committees (Preservation, Planning, Law, and Streetscape) for years. Dorothy's dedication went well beyond her extraordinary work on those committees. She was a mentor to so many on the MAS staff. While demanding and rigorous when it came to work, she was a warm and sweet friend to so many of us. She is irreplaceable and will be sorely missed by everyone at MAS.








Dorothy M. (O'Driscoll) Miner

MINER Dorothy M. (O'Driscoll), 72, of New York City, died October 21, 2008. Survived by her brothers Robert Dwight Miner, DDS and his wife Virginia of Montvale, NJ and Richard Thomas Miner, J.D. and his wife Gail of Sparta, NJ. Loving aunt to Jeffrey Miner, Cynthia Kadelke and Catherine Hartenstein. She was predeceased by her husband James E. O'Driscoll in 1993. Dorothy graduated from Smith College and Columbia Law School (From 1975-1994).

Dorothy was Counsel to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Since 1995, she was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University teaching Historic Preservation Law.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 9:30 AM at the Corpus Christi Church, 529 West 121st Street, New York, NY. Interment, private.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Historic Districts Council, 232 East 11th Street, NY, NY 10003 or The Dwight C. Miner Scholarship Fund, Columbia College Office of Alumni Affairs, Suite 917, 475 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10115 in her memory would be appreciated.