Early in life, Chicago native Doris Anita Evans developed two overriding passions: medicine and golf. She played competitive junior golf and considered becoming a pro, but opted instead for a career in pediatric medicine. After graduating from the University of Chicago (A.B., 1963), she came east to Cleveland to earn an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, where she is now a clinical professor of pediatrics. Remaining an avid golfer, in 2004 Evans found the perfect way to combine her interest in the sport with her interest in children. She became the executive director of The First Tee of Cleveland, a nonprofit organization with a novel mission: to positively impact the lives of young people from greater Cleveland by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. During her six-year tenure with The First Tee, she oversaw the opening of the organization’s 4,200-square-foot Life Skills Education Center in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Washington Reservation.

Evans was a director of KeyBank and a trustee of Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. A member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Northern Ohio Pediatric Society and Cleveland Medical Association, she continues to care for children as a pediatrician. She is also a lifetime member of the NAACP and an active member of Fairmount Presbyterian Church.