McBride, Mary Margaret, 1899-

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Radio commentator and author.

From the description of Mary Margaret McBride papers, 1926-1975. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70982067

Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976) was a journalist and the host of an immensely popular daily radio program from the mid 1930s into the 1950s.

From the description of Photographs from the Mary Margaret McBride collection, 1934-1968, and undated. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 488719037

Biographical Note

  • 1899, Nov. 16: Born, Paris, Mo.
  • 1919: B.J., University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. Reporter, Cleveland Press
  • 1920 - 1924 : Special and feature writer, New York Evening Mail
  • 1926: Contributed to Cosmopolitan, Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, and other magazines Published with Paul Whitman Jazz: A Story of Paul Whiteman. New York: J. H. Sears & Co.
  • 1927: Published with A. Williams Charm. New York: Rae D. Henkle Co.
  • 1929: Published with Helen Josephy Paris Is a Woman's Town. New York: Coward-MCann
  • 1930: Published The Story of Dwight Morrow. New York: Farrer & Rinehart
  • 1931: Published with Helen Josephy London Is a Man's Town. Coward-McCann Published with Helen Josephy New York Is Everybody's Town. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons
  • 1932: Published with Helen Josephy Beer and Skittles, a Friendly Modern Guide to Germany. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons
  • 1934 - 1935 : Woman's page editor, Newspaper Enterprise Association, New York, N.Y.
  • 1934 - 1940 : Radio broadcaster as Martha Deane for station WOR
  • 1936: Received Women's National Exposition of Arts and Industries medal for greatest contribution to radio for the year Published Here's Martha Deane. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Publishing co.
  • 1937: Received Wall Paper Institute medal for outstanding contribution to stimulation of interest in the home
  • 1937 - 1941 : Radio broadcaster for CBS
  • 1938: University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., award for distinguished service in journalism
  • 1940: Radio Guide award for distinguished service to radio Published How Dear to My Heart. New York: Macmillan Co.
  • 1941: Published America for Me. New York: Macmillan Co.
  • 1941 - 1950 : Radio broadcaster for NBC, station WEAF
  • 1943: Winner of the All-American Rose, named for McBride in her honor
  • 1945: Published Tune In for Elizabeth. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.,
  • 1946: King Haakon Award for war broadcasting
  • 1950: Distinguished Honor award, Haitian Government Silver Medallion, Governor of the Virgin Islands One World Award
  • 1950 - 1954 : Radio broadcaster for ABC
  • 1952: Chosen as one of America's Twelve Master Salesmen
  • 1953 - 1956 : Syndicated newspaper columnist
  • 1954 - 1960 : Broadcaster for NBC
  • 1959: Published A Long Way from Missouri. New York: Putnam
  • 1960: Broadcaster for New York Tribune Radio Published Out of the Air. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday
  • 1968: Published The Growing Up of Mary Elizabeth;. New York: Dodd, Mead
  • 1970: Litt. D., William Woods College, Fulton, Mo.
  • 1976, Apr. 7: Died, Shokan, N.Y.

From the guide to the Mary Margaret McBride Papers, 1926-1975, (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Biographical Note

Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976) was a journalist and the host of an immensely popular daily radio program from the mid 1930s into the 1950s. Her first program, Martha Deane, was broadcast on station WOR from 1934 until 1940. In 1937 CBS hired her to host a fifteen-minute talk show under her own name, but her most popular program, a forty-five-minute interview and talk show on NBC, ran from 1941 until 1950.

McBride's daily program featured interviews with over twelve hundred leading public and political figures of her time, such as entertainers, other radio personalities, authors, educators, doctors, and adventurers, but she also talked with average people who had interesting stories to tell. Interviewees included Eleanor Roosevelt, Governor Thomas E. Dewey, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bob Hope, Carl Sandburg, Margaret Bourke-White, Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams, Joe DiMaggio, a man leading a campaign to improve teenage driving skills, a female test pilot, the woman who invented crossword puzzles, and the American Mother of 1942.

McBride's interviews provide a highly personal perspective on American life during the Great Depression through World War II, its aftermath, and the beginning of the Cold War. They constituted the first thirty minutes of her show and were followed by informal discussion of household matters and advertising. Commercials were targeted at McBride's primary audience -- women -- who eagerly purchased the products she promoted and made McBride a favorite with sponsors. Her popularity with listeners and sponsors alike allowed her to retain both editorial and commercial control of her program.

McBride moved to ABC in 1950. She died on April 7, 1976, at age 76.

From the guide to the Photographs from the Mary Margaret McBride Collection, 1934-1968, and undated, (Recorded Sound Reference Center, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Library of Congress)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Mary Margaret McBride Papers, 1926-1975 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Bess Furman papers, 1728-1967 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Elisabeth Fraser papers, 1920-1999 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Oswald Garrison Villard papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Cumming, Adelaide Fish Hawley, 1905-. Papers, 1922-1967 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Bennett Cerf Papers, ca. 1898-1977. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Robert E. Sherwood papers, 1917-1968 (inclusive), 1934-1955 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Robert Lee Sherrod Papers, 1910-1963 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Miller, Emma Guffey, 1874-1970. Papers: Series III-IV, 1900-1972 (inclusive) [microform]. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1922-1967 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968. Postcard, 1945. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Lillian B. Gilkes Papers, 1900-1976 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Bemis, Frances, d. 1974. Papers, 1921-1974. Smith College, Neilson Library
creatorOf McBride, Mary Margaret, 1899-1976. Letter to "Dearest Elsie" : New York : TLS, 1929 Oct. 15. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Papers of Inez Haynes Gillmore, 1872-1945 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf McBride, Mary Margaret, 1899-1976. Photographs from the Mary Margaret McBride collection, 1934-1968, and undated. Library of Congress
referencedIn John Tebbel Papers, 1936-1985 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Gibson, Irene Langhorne, 1872 or 3-1956. Irene Gibson letter to Mary McBride, ca. 1919-1956. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Gore Vidal papers, 1850-2020 (inclusive), 1936-2008 (bulk) Houghton Library
referencedIn Papers of Robert Graves: Correspondence (arranged by subject), 1915 to 1996 St John's College, Oxford
creatorOf Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967. Letters of tribute to Carl Sandburg [manuscript], 1951-1952. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Frances Bemis Papers MS 16., 1921-1974 Sophia Smith Collection
referencedIn Miller, Emma Guffey, 1874-1970. Papers, 1833-1975 (bulk: 1884-1972) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Jackson, Shirley, 1916-1965. Papers, 1932-1970 (bulk 1938-1965). Library of Congress
referencedIn A. M. Sullivan Papers, 1925-1980 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Banér, Skulda V. (Skulda Vanadis). Skulda Vanadis Banér papers, 1900-1975 (bulk 1920-1964). Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Hale, Nancy, 1908-1988. Nancy Hale papers [manuscript], 1950. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Photographs from the Mary Margaret McBride Collection, 1934-1968, and undated Library of Congress. Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division
referencedIn Teale, Edwin Way, 1899-1980. Papers, 1799-1995 and undated Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Moscowitz, Jennie, ca. 1868-1953. Jennie Moscowitz papers, 1907-1943. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn John Mason Brown papers, 1922-1967. Houghton Library
creatorOf Baldwin, Faith, 1893-1978. Faith Baldwin letters and papers, 1949-1978. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Booth, Charles Brandon. Charles Brandon Booth letter to Mary Margaret McBride, 1953 August 19. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf McBride, Mary Margaret, 1899-1976. [Culinary ephemera : companies and corporations]. Box 445. William L. Clements Library
referencedIn Papers, 1872-1945 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Cerf, Bennett, 1898-1971. Bennett Cerf papers, ca. 1898-1977. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Flannagan, Roy C. (Roy Catesby), 1897-1952. Papers of Roy Catesby Flannagan [manuscript] 1862-1951. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Skulda V. Banér papers, 1900-1975, 1920-1964 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf McBride, Mary Margaret, 1899-1976. Correspondence to Van Wyck Brooks, 1954-1958. University of Pennsylvania Library
referencedIn Irving Berlin collection of non-commercial sound recordings [sound recording] The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Jennie Moscowitz papers, 1907-1943 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adelaide Fish Hawley Cumming person
associatedWith Baldwin, Faith, 1893-1978. person
associatedWith Banér, Skulda V. (Skulda Vanadis) person
associatedWith Bemis, Frances, d. 1974 person
associatedWith Berlin, Irving, 1888-1989 person
associatedWith Booth, Charles Brandon. person
associatedWith Bradley, Omar Nelson, 1893-1981 person
correspondedWith Brown, John Mason, 1900-1969 person
associatedWith Cerf, Bennett, 1898-1971. person
associatedWith Cumming, Adelaide Fish Hawley, 1905- person
associatedWith Elsie. person
associatedWith Emma (Guffey) Miller, 1874-1970 person
associatedWith Flannagan, Roy C. (Roy Catesby), 1897-1952. person
associatedWith Fraser, Elisabeth person
correspondedWith Furman, Bess, 1894-1969. person
associatedWith Gibson, Irene Langhorne, 1872 or 3-1956. person
associatedWith Gilkes, Lillian B. (Lillian Barnard), 1902-1977 person
associatedWith Gillmore, Inez Haynes, 1873-1970. person
associatedWith Graves, Robert Ranke, 1895-1985 person
associatedWith Hale, Nancy, 1908-1988. person
associatedWith Inez Haynes Gillmore, 1873-1970 person
associatedWith Jackson, Shirley, 1916-1965. person
associatedWith Karn, Estella H. person
associatedWith Miller, Emma Guffey, 1874-1970. person
associatedWith Moscowitz, Jennie, ca. 1868-1953. person
associatedWith Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967. person
associatedWith Sherrod, Robert Lee, 1909- person
correspondedWith Sherwood, Robert E. (Robert Emmet), 1896-1955 person
associatedWith St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968. person
associatedWith Sullivan, A. M. (Aloysius Michael), 1896- person
correspondedWith Teale, Edwin Way, 1899- person
associatedWith Tebbel, John William, 1912- person
associatedWith Vidal, Gore, 1925- person
correspondedWith Villard, Oswald Garrison, 1872-1949 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
Radio broadcasting
Radio broadcasting
Radio journalism
Radio talk shows
Radio talk shows
Women in radio broadcasting
Women in radio broadcasting
Occupation
Authors
Radio journalists
Women journalists
Women journalists
Women radio producers and directors
Women radio producers and directors
Women radio talk show hosts
Women radio talk show hosts
Activity

Person

Birth 1899-11-16

Death 1976-04-07

Information

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Ark ID: w6c252gx

SNAC ID: 73440608