Doris Norton was born Doris Schaefer to a family of South Dakota merchants and ranchers. Following her graduation from high school in Sioux Falls , the family moved to Phoenix in 1946. She refers this event as the beginning of the rest of her life. Doris attended the University of Arizona , where she pledged Kappa Gamma and met her future husband, John R. Norton. They married in 1950, and since then Doris has dedicated herself to her family, her community, and her country. To these tasks she is well suited. All who know her describe her as one of the most positive-minded and outgoing people they have ever known, as well as a woman committed to helping others through mutual understanding and by building bridges rather than walls. Her husband calls her, “the Rock” and credits her with much of his own professional success. During the years he served in President Reagan’s cabinet, she worked in Nancy Reagan’s office in the White House collecting and collating all the many news articles about the Reagans. Doris and John traveled all over the world visiting over 70 countries in every continent. Doris has served as a Co-Chair for the Norton School's Campaign Cornerstones and is a member of the Women’s Board of the Barrows Neurological Center. Together, Doris and John built a successful family based on the values of personal responsibility, integrity and achievement. They are the proud parents of three children, Michael R. Norton, John P. Norton, and Melanie Norton-Robinson. In 2002, John and Doris created the John R. and Doris S. Norton Endowed Chair for Fathers, parenting, and Families, and in 2004, they pledged $4 million to the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. As a result, the School has been able to conduct cutting-edge research, offer more and better instruction, and provide much needed community outreach.
