Nathan Washington Dougherty was born to Samuel and Mary Ellen (Vermillion) Dougherty in Hales Mill, Virginia on March 23, 1886. He moved to Knox County, Tennessee with his family in 1898. Dougherty attended the University of Tennessee, where he served as captain of the football, basketball, and track teams during his senior year. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1909 and went on to complete his M.S. in Civil Engineering at Cornell University in 1914. Dougherty married Agnes Anna Monteith in 1913, and the couple had five children: Marie Ellen (Dougherty) Wellborn (1915-1996), Nathan Sam (1917-2002), Mildred Monteith (Dougherty) O'Brien (1918-2004), Agnes (Dougherty) Wattenbarger (1928-2017), and Edward M. (1921-2003).

Dougherty began his professional career as an Assistant Professor at George Washington University (1915-1916). He returned to the University of Tennessee in 1916, where he served as Head of the Civil Engineering Department (1916-1940) and as Dean of the College of Engineering (1940-1956). In addition to his work with U.T., Dougherty served as a consultant with the Tennessee Highway Department (1923-1936), the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (1936), and ARO, Inc. The University of Tennessee recognized his contributions to the university and to his profession by naming the school's largest engineering building Nathan W. Dougherty Engineering Hall.

Dougherty also played an important role in the early development of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference. He served as Tennessee's Faculty Representative in athletics for forty years, as pro-tem Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, and as a member and officer of the NCAA. In 1967, Dougherty was elected to the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. Two years later, he served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Dougherty died in May 1977 and is buried in Knox County.