Dorothy Richardson Varnum MacAdam Dorothy was the seventh of eight children born to James "Buck" Buchanan Richardson and Lulu Cooley. She was born on the family's ranch with a midwife in attendance on February 17, "in the early 1900s". The nearest sizable town was the goldmining town of Yreka, California. While growing up on the ranch, Dorothy learned to ride. She had a variety of pets, including dogs, a magpie, and a porcupine.

Her mother, a school teacher, was the great granddaughter of the Earl of Bedford's eldest son. Lulu Cooley was born November 29, 1862, and married James Richardson on November 25, 1881. Richardson, a United States Marshall, was born November 8, 1856. He died February 4, 1919, of an accidental gunshot wound to the leg, incurred while rounding up stray cattle. Lulu died March 10, 1953.

Dorothy wrote poetry throughout her school years. She and her sister Beth were a popular singing duo in northern California until three throat surgeries forced Dorothy to give up singing. She then wrote song lyrics under the name Dorothy Varnum.

Dorothy attended San Francisco College. After college, she opened her own brokerage firm. She also continued taking a variety of courses in areas of interest to her. She learned crafts, and took up golf and flying. Dorothy took flying lessons at Mills Field in San Francisco. She was acquainted with Amelia Earhart, who organized an association of women flyers. Dorothy was a member of this group, known as the "Flying 99's".

Dorothy worked as a comptometer operator in the statistical department of Shell Oil Company. After an injury to her back, she went to Idyllwild/Palm Springs where her sister, Beth Chase, lived. During her recuperation she wrote a "chatter" column for the local newspapers and resort publicity. After Pearl Harbor, she returned to work as a comptometer operator for Northrup in their payroll department.

She married John Moore MacAdam in 1943, and met and married Dale B. Dorothy after she was widowed in 1945. Dale Dorothy served in Lima, Peru during World War II and was flying for Pan Am when they met. The couple intended a brief stop over in Las Vegas en route to Mexico, but stayed.

Dorothy Dorothy's civic involvement touched many parts of the community. She organized and was the first president of the Women's Democratic Club of Whitney. They held meetings, raised funds, and campaigned for candidates. In spite of the club's name, male members were permitted to join. She worked with Virginia Catt and Gladys Dula to organize the Boulder City Democratic Club, and with Sara Denton to organize the Blue Diamond Democratic Club. Later Dorothy would establish a chapter in Pahrump.

Dorothy put her art and craft knowledge to work in Whitney teaching these skills to groups of children. The children were also taught "rock hound technique" and taken on supervised camping trips. This was the inception of the local YMCA.

In 1949 the Dorothys bought a 1400 acre alfalfa and cotton ranch in Pahrump. She actively promoted the potential of Pahrump, although at the time the lifestyle was "primitive". There were no paved roads, telephones, or electricity. Dorothy worked to make a paved road to Pahrump a reality. The road opened in 1954.

While in Whitney, Dorothy wrote a daily column for the Review Journal. From 1949 to 1958 she wrote a weekly column for the Las Vegas Sun. She also wrote for the Tonopah Times for and about ten years, and the Henderson News for nearly two years. She wrote agricultural articles for California Farmer in the 1950s.

The Dorothys returned to Las Vegas in 1958. Dorothy Dorothy helped organize and served in the "Silver Gavels," a national parliamentarian club. She handled publicity for the national American Legion Convention. From 1958 to about 1967 she promoted the United Nations Grove at Lorenzi Park. Each United Nations member was to plant a tree native to their homeland in the grove. The planning commission, however, opted for playground equipment instead of the grove and fountain.

In the 1930s Dorothy began a Christmas toy drive in San Francisco. She continued this activity in both Palm Springs and southern Nevada. In Nevada she delivered toys to children in isolated areas as well as to needy children. She traveled as far as Goldfield, Nevada, to deliver toys.

Other organizations that Dorothy Dorothy actively belonged to included the Las Vegas Press Club; the Vegas Club for the Deaf; Nevada State Parole Board Commission; Western Probation, Parole and Correction Association; and she was chairman of "Operation Support" in southern Nevada. She was also active in the Humane Society, Soroptomists and the Mesquite Club. She was a member of the Business and Professional Women's Club since 1946.

Her husband, Dale Dorothy, died from cancer on August 26, 1982. Dorothy died on October 31, 1986. In her will she left $2,000 to the UNLV Special Collections Department in memory of her friend, Anna Dean Kepper, manuscript curator.