Born in Summerville, South Carolina and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Edward L. Daugherty (1926- ) was at the forefront of the modernist movement in landscape architecture in the southeastern United States from the 1950s onward. After serving in World War II, he studied landscape architecture at the University of Georgia and continued his education at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, receiving an M.L.A. in 1951.

Upon graduation, Daugherty traveled to England on a Fulbright Scholarship to study town planning. When he returned to the United States, he moved to Atlanta and began his own landscape architecture and urban planning practice in 1953. His work spans a broad range of projects including private gardens, corporate headquarters, schools and cultural institutions, and large developments. His notable projects include the grounds of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Avon corporate headquarters, the Georgia Governor's mansion, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Daugherty is a founding member and/or a board member of many organizations, such as the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta Arts Festival, and Trees Atlanta.

Daugherty has been recognized for his many achievements in landscape architecture. In 1971, he was made a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The Atlanta Urban Design Commission honored him with an Award of Excellence for Lifelong Contributions to Landscape Architecture in Atlanta in 1987 and in 2010 he received the ASLA Medal, the highest honor that the society awards.