Dora M. Sweeney was born in Biwabik, Minnesota, June 19, 1907, to Finnish immigrants, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lundstrom. The family moved to Juneau, Alaska, when Dora was an infant. After graduating from Juneau High School and attending business college in Seattle, Dora married Edward C. Sweeney on December 17, 1927. They settled in Juneau, with a home on Franklin Street and a cabin on Lena Loop, where they enjoyed gardening and outdoor activities on weekends. Dora Sweeney now resides in the Juneau Pioneer Home.

Dora worked for various agencies and companies, notably the Bureau of Indian Affairs (1930-1940), the Territorial Health Department (1940-1942), Shattuck Insurance Agency (1942-1952), and Sommers Construction Company (part-time, 1958-1984). In 1953, she was secretary to the Alaska State Senate. She served as one of the fifty-five delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955 (one of six women) and as a representative from Juneau to the State House of Representatives from 1955 to 1965. Subsequently, she worked for the Legislative Council as Legislative Historian, 1965-1970 and was a delegate to 1970 White House Conference on Aging. She was active in the Democratic Party. Her community activities were numerous and included the Federation of Business and Professional Women, Community College Advisory Council, Alaska Order of Rainbow Girls, Order of Eastern Star, and the Northern Lights Presbyterian Church.,

[Information from: Biography of: Dora M. Sweeney by Dora's niece, Katherine A. Brown, unpublished manuscript, and Who's Who in Alaskan Politics, p. 98]