McBride, Mary Margaret, 1899-

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)