Mary Crozier, journalist

Mary Crozier studied PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) at the University of Oxford.

She began writing articles for the Guardian in 1928, when CP Scott was still editor, and during her time at Oxford the subject of her articles most often concerned events at the university. Whilst her father, WP Crozier, was editor Mary Crozier always worked freelance for the Guardian although she began working from the Guardian offices in 1932. Mary Crozier became a regular radio critic from 1932. She also worked on many other sections of the newspaper including: book reviews, the women's page, theatre reviews, and some reporting for the news editor.

During the Second World War Mary Crozier continued to work for the newspaper but no-longer worked from the office. She moved out of Manchester to the country to have her daughter and sent in her articles by 'Press Telegram'.

After her father died in 1944, John Scott, the managing editor at that time, and AP Wadsworth, WP Crozier's successor as editor, invited Mary Crozier to join the paper, marking the first point at which she actually became a part of the Guardian staff. Mary Crozier's position was as leader writer and critic in charge of all sorts of different articles. In 1946 she was put in charge of 'Letters to the Editor'.

In the early 1950s Mary Crozier became the Guardian's first television critic and as a part of this role the Guardian installed a television set in her home.

Mary left the paper in 1967, shortly after its move to London. She continued to write a weekly television column for the Tablet, and worked part-time for the BBC. She also reviewed children's books for the Guardian and the Times Literary Supplement.

In retirement, she organised the publication of Off the Record (1973), a series of her father's background interviews with leading figures of the 1930s and 1940s, among them Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill, edited by AJP Taylor.

From the guide to the Papers relating to Mary Crozier, 1930-2002, (Guardian News & Media Archive)