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Interview with Mary Crozier, journalist for the Guardian. Conducted by Leslie Plommer on 23 April 1998. Also includes a summary of contents and transcript.

Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):

Disc 1:
Track 1
00.00 Introductions
00.27 *
01.00 Grew up with the Guardian as her father WP Crozier had worked there
02.30 Seeing the working day at the Guardian whilst a child
05.00 System of the corridor at the newspaper
06.40 Attended Oxford University
07.00 Began writing articles for newspaper in 1928 on Oxford topics
07.37 Writing remotely
08.00 Her fathers development of a technical column on radio
08.30 In 1931 she started work on radio criticism
09.00 Worked in a freelance capacity for the newspaper

10.35 During Second World War her husband was in the Army and she moved from Manchester. Kept up radio criticism articles whilst living in the country
11.20 Following the death of her father in 1944 she was asked to join the Guardian staff as critic
12.10 In 1946 she became letters editor
12.30 Few female contributors. Madeline Linford in charge of the women's page
13.10 Remembers Helena Swanwick
14.00 Remembers Linford as being intelligent having joined the newspaper very young
14.40 Linford sent to cover postwar famine in Poland and Eastern Europe
15.30 Remembers back page columns
16.40 Nesta Roberts a contributor to back page columns. Roberts the first woman to be appointed to reporters room
19.00 Discusses radio criticism and the expansion of radio

21.00 Support for the BBC Third Programme
22.00 Choosing radio programmes to listen to
24.25 Process of copy being viewed before printing
26.30 Introduction to television criticism
27.15 Remembers holding a staff Coronation party in 1953 as she was one of the few people who had a television set
29.30 Remembers Roland [Cragg?], one of the first motoring correspondents

30.20 Discusses letters to the editor
32.50 Size of the paper following the War
33.15 Training for the job with Bob Garner
34.15 Rule that they did not publish letters also received by the Telegraph and the Times
35.30 How to choose letters for the newspaper
38.20 The readers right to reply
38.50 Religion excluded as a letter subject

40.45 Remembers AP Wadsworth
43.00 How involved the editors were in the letters pages
45.30 Wadsworth's advice on having to print a letter he didn't like

Disc 2:
Track 1
00.15 Alastair Hetherington's appointment as editor
03.00 Regular correspondents on certain subjects
04.00 Remembers Harold Laski, a frequent writer to the letters page
05.45 Fondly remembers a Staffordshire MP who used to submit letters
06.55 Remembers fight with Randolph Churchill on the phone regarding the use of a letter he submitted
09.45 Complaints over the use of letters

10.30 Sending copy to composing room via messenger boys
12.55 Her work for Country diary
14.00 Search for lost editors leader copy
17.20 Last meeting with CP Scott
17.40 *

20.20 Remembers John Edward Mossey, secretary to CP Scott
21.25 On Wigan Jim, Guardian messenger
23.00 Remembers seeing the pony traps outside Guardian offices whilst a child
25.40 Present at Cross Street during royal visit from King George
28.00 Excitement when chimney caught fire at thatched house
29.35 No Guardian canteen during her fathers time

30.15 Breaks at the newspaper. Sending messenger boys to collect food from canteen
32.48 Reading your own pages in the first edition of newspaper to check for errors
34.50 Deputy on miscellany pages
36.50 Remembers Neville Cardus, who wrote under the pseudonym 'Cricketer'

40.00 Writing leaders pages

Letters and other papers accumulated and retained by WP Crozier and his family covering his career including his editorship of the Manchester Guardian. The collection also contains material concerning his literary works and commitments outside the Guardian.
The first file of the collection contains biographical material and focuses on documents relating to the first world war and Crozier's exemption from military service due to poor health.
The second file of the collection contains documents concerning Crozier's early career at the Guardian. It begins with documents detailing his initial appointment to the Guardian in 1903 after a brief spell working for The Times. At the Guardian Crozier began work for the sub-editors where his diverse range of interests helped him excel. The file includes correspondence with CP Scott who praises Crozier's work for the Guardian. At the end of 1912 Crozier became news editor (a new title at the Guardian). He was also instrumental in ensuring the Guardian kept pace with the changing face of journalism - introducing the women's pages and increasing the use of photographs within the paper. Crozier's responsibility on the Guardian increased with the outbreak of war in 1914. By 1921 he was made director of the company. Crozier had a massive influence on the production of the paper - he was involved in everything from introducing the crossword to presenting criminal trials. The file contains WP Crozier's correspondence with A Ransome from the early 1920s concerning difficulties in gaining entry to Russia and reporting on events there. There is also a photograph of WP Crozier from the latter end of this period, 1931.
The collection is then divided into a series of files all relating to WP Crozier's editorship of the Guardian which began officially on the 6 May 1932 following the death of Ted Scott in a boating accident. The first file in this series contains documents relating to Crozier's appointment as editor. There is a file of Crozier's general correspondence with Guardian staff focusing on staff management and editorial duties. During his editorship Crozier further developed the reputation of the Guardian for reporting foreign events. This was increasingly important as conflicts in Europe were slowly building to the second world war. A file of correspondence with W Eames contains much comment about general world events and there is a file of correspondence with FA Voigt, the foreign and diplomatic correspondent, which discusses European affairs leading up to the outbreak of the second world war. There is a further file of correspondence with individuals external to the Guardian, many of which are either politicians or staff from other newspapers. Again comment can be found amongst these documents concerning the outbreak of war. Further files relating to Crozier's time as editor include photographs and prints of the period and the speeches he gave as a part of his editorial duties.
WP Crozier did not limit his writing to journalism and published two novels; the first, the 'Letters of Pontius Pilate' was published in 1928 and the second, 'The Fates are Laughing', was published posthumously in 1945. The collection contains a file of documents and correspondence relating to these novels and includes a review of his second novel written by George Orwell.
Crozier also had many commitments outside the Guardian and the collection contains a series of files relating to these. One file contains documents and correspondence relating to WP Crozier's connection with the University of Manchester. He was a member of the Council, the Post-War Developments Committee and Chairman of the Athletics Committee at the university. The second file in this series contains an example of Crozier's freelance journalism. There is also a file containing documents relating to Crozier's other interests, including: the Liberal Party Convention Committee; the Historical Association of Manchester and the Reform Club in Manchester.
Towards the end of his twelve years in the editor's chair, Crozier began to have persistent heart problems. He was advised to rest but did not. He wrote his last leading article on the 14th April 1944. The collection contains a series of files relating to Crozier's legacy. The first contains press cuttings from the Guardian and the Manchester Evening News. It includes leaders, tributes, messages of sympathy, and reports of the funeral. The second file is a large collection of correspondence to Mrs Crozier expressing sympathy at Crozier's death and the third file contains messages of condolence written to James Bone.

Administrative/Biographical history: Born in Stanhope, Durham in 1879 Crozier was educated at the Manchester Grammar School and subsequently won a scholarship to Trinity College, Oxford - commencing 1898.

After leaving university, Crozier worked as a teacher for a year, before a brief spell at the Times newspaper. At the end of September 1903 he began working for the Guardian. Crozier began work for the sub-editors where his diverse range of interests helped him excel. He was particularly praised for his work on the Russo-Japanese war. At the end of 1912 Crozier became news editor for the paper. He was also instrumental in ensuring the newspaper kept pace with the changing face of journalism - introducing the women's pages and increasing the use of photographs within the paper.

Crozier's responsibility on the Guardian increased with the outbreak of war in 1914. By 1921 he was made director of the company. In April 1932 Crozier replaced ET Scott as editor.

At the Guardian Crozier built up a team of foreign writers while he was a deputy editor, but under his editorial position the foreign department of the newspaper grew in reputation. This was increasingly important as conflicts in Europe were slowly building to the second world war. He often wrote articles himself with a powerful and concise style.

Crozier was known for appearing cold and sceptical, but was extremely passionate about liberal politics. He reflected his views within the Guardian, promoting the League of Nations and attacking Hitler's anti-semitic policies before it was popular to do so.

Towards the end of his twelve years in the editors chair, Crozier began to have persistent heart problems. He was advised to rest but did not. He wrote his last leading article on the 14th April 1944.
Creator: Crozier, William Percival (1879-1944); newspaper editor

Documents that relate to Mary Crozier. They include a photograph, correspondence with Guardian staff, details of her employment at the Guardian and other media work, and recollections written by Crozier in 2002.