Anne Roos

Applauded by school children as "Athena's Mama," Anne Roos was born of Czech parents in Prague, and attended first grade there before the family left in June, 1939. After living on the East Coast of the US and in California she settled with her physics professor husband in Nashville, TN. Anne put her BS degree from Harvard in Architecture and City Planning to work in Nashville with her 1967 appointment to the Metropolitan Nashville Planning Commission, the first woman to serve in this capacity, and continued to help chart the course for the city for 16 years. Service on the Metro Parks and Recreation Board followed and then the Metropolitan Historical Commission for a total of 41 years on Metro Boards. She served as president of the Tennessee Chapter of the Nature Conservancy for two years, chaired the committee for the early planning and building of the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere for the Cumberland (Adventure) Science Museum as well as active service for other civic organizations. While on the Parks Board, Anne initiated and raised the money to build four public art sculptures, including the 42-foot Athena for the Parthenon in Centennial Park.