Mary Gnaedinger

Education and career Born in Brooklyn, New York, as Mary Catherine Jacobson, she attended the Columbia University School of Journalism.

Personal life Mary Jacobson married Louis Beverley Nichol Gnaedinger (1898–1977), a Canadian from Montreal, on September 22, 1919. They probably met at the Columbia University School of Journalism, since both attended at the same time. She is known as the first female lead editor of a science fiction publication. In his obituary of Gnaedinger published in 1977, fantasy and science fiction author Lin Carter wrote:

I ... am going to miss Mary Gnaedinger, who died at her home in the Bronx at the age of 78 ... For nearly thirty years she edited Famous Fantastic Mysteries and ... Fantastic Novels and A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, and did yeoman service by tirelessly getting back into print many of the best of fantastic fiction. I owe her a personal debt, for it was in the pages of her magazines that I first read the great romances of H. Rider Haggard and A. Merritt, and such unusual works as Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday, Hodgson's The Boats of the 'Glen Carrig', Cutcliffe Hyne's The Lost Continent... She did good work for the cause of fantasy, and many readers beside myself are indebted to her.

Career timeline Source: 1933, June: joined Newsstand Publications (aka Graham Publications) to edit Romantic Love Secrets 1934, July: after Romantic Love Secrets folds, joins Munsey as Amita Fairgrieve's asst. ed. on All-Story Magazine, a love pulp 1936, March 11: spoke at Brooklyn's First Presbyterian Church on "Religion and Magazine Fiction" 1939, October: editor of Munsey's new pulp Famous Fantastic Mysteries; it lasts until June 1953 with Gnaedinger editing 1940, May: adds Fantastic Novels to her responsibilities 1940, October: adds Sea Novel Magazine to her responsibilities; it folds after two issues 1941, April: Fantastic Novels combined with Famous Fantastic Mysteries, i.e., cancelled 1941, May: takes over Crack-Shot Western; it folds after October issue 1941, October: adds Cowboy Movie Thrillers to her responsibilities; it lasts four issues 1942, October: Popular Publications purchases Munsey magazines, retaining Gnaedinger 1942, December: adds Love Novels Magazine to her responsibilities; it lasts until September 1954 1943, May: takes over air-pulp Battle Birds; it folds after May 1944 issue 1948, March: Fantastic Novels is revived with Gnaedinger editing 1948, October: adds Captain Zero to her responsibilities; it last three issues, November 1949 to March 1950 1951, July: adds .44 Western to her responsibilities 1953, May: edits four titles, Love Novels, Detective Story, Rangeland Romance, 15 Range Romances