Born in 1881, Dana committed a substantial portion of her adult life to educational and humanitarian endeavors overseas. She served for many years at the American Collegiate Institute for Girls in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir), Turkey. In her capacity as a teacher and administrator, she contributed significantly to the education of young women in the region during a period of profound political and social upheaval.
Dana was a direct witness to several pivotal historical events of the early 20th century in the Near East, including the final years of the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian Genocide, and most notably, the Smyrna Catastrophe of 1922. During these crises, she actively participated in relief operations, providing assistance to refugees and displaced persons. Her firsthand observations and experiences from this tumultuous period are chronicled in her writings, including "The Smyrna Catastrophe: A Personal Narrative," which remains a significant primary source for understanding the destruction of Smyrna and its aftermath.
Following her dedicated service in Turkey, Dana returned to the United States. She passed away in 1969. Her personal papers, including correspondence, diaries, and manuscripts, are preserved in various institutional archives, such as the Harvard University Library. These collections offer valuable insights into American missionary activities, the history of education in the Near East, and the complex social and political landscape of the region during the early to mid-20th century.