Mary Adams

Mary Grace Agnes Adams (née Campin), born in Hermitage, Berkshire, England, was a British author, editor, television producer, programme director, administrator, who worked for the BBC. She was very influential, created the Home intelligence division, and set up a system for monitoring the public mood regarding the Second World War effort. After the war, she produced programmes on all subjects apart from drama and light entertainment, commissioned ground-breaking programmes – such as Zoo Quest; The Quiz Programme.

Mary gained a first-class honors degree in Botany from the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire (now Cardiff University). Subsequently Adams studied tissue culture at Cambridge University at the Strangeways Research Laboratory under Professor Strangeways.

Adams began her broadcasting career in 1928 when she was a tutor and lecturer at Cambridge University. She developed a series, later published as Six Talks on Heredity, for the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) and it was during this time that she recognized the educational potential of broadcasting. Within two years, Adams joined the staff of the BBC as its adult education officer. In 1936, Adams accepted a position as a television producer at the company’s new television service. Thus, she became the first woman to hold such a position.

Considered the first producer to bring medical information via television to the public, Adams developed several health-related series, beginning in 1949 with A Matter of Life and Death. Her other medical series included Matters of Medicine, The Hurt Mind, and Your Life in Their Hands.

Source: Prabook