To Madge with Love: The Story of Marion’s First Lady of Broadcasting, Madge Cooper Guthery

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To Madge with Love by Scott Spears (WMRN-2026-054) is a digitized 66-page biographical booklet about longtime WMRN broadcaster Madge Cooper Guthery, preserved within the WMRN Personalities and Staff Documentation Collection. Written by Scott Spears with Chris Collins, the booklet was digitized from a Marion Public Library reference copy. No formal publication date appears in the scanned pages, although the library copy contains a December 6, 2011 catalog or accession stamp.

The booklet documents Guthery’s life and long association with WMRN, beginning with her arrival at the station in 1941. It covers her work as director of women’s activities, continuity writer, and WMRN’s first woman program director, along with her later local-history program The Way We Were and her extensive community service. Photographs and contextual material also document WMRN, Marion broadcasting culture, Ray Marsh, Rod Serling, Scott Spears, and other people connected with Guthery’s life and career.

Career and Historical Topics Documented in Booklet
1941 – Madge Cooper Guthery begins her association with WMRN shortly after the station goes on the air.
Director of Women’s Activities – Guthery develops and presents programming directed toward women in the Marion community.
Continuity Writer – Guthery writes station copy, announcements, and other broadcast material for WMRN.
First Woman Program Director – Guthery becomes the first woman to hold the program director position at WMRN.
The Way We Were – Guthery later hosts a local-history program focused on Marion’s people, places, and community memories.
Community Service – The booklet documents Guthery’s involvement in civic, historical, and community organizations.
WMRN Broadcasting History – Photographs and narrative material provide additional context concerning WMRN-AM, WMRN-FM, station personalities, and Marion broadcasting culture.

Historical Significance

This booklet preserves one of the most detailed known accounts of Madge Cooper Guthery’s life and broadcasting career. It is especially useful because it documents her arrival at WMRN during the station’s earliest years, her progression through several important programming and writing positions, and her role as WMRN’s first woman program director.

The item also preserves a broader history of WMRN and Marion broadcasting through photographs, personal recollections, and contextual material involving station employees, community figures, and local media history. As a biographical document, it helps connect Guthery’s personal story with the institutional history of WMRN and the development of local radio in Marion, Ohio.

Exhibit Label

To Madge with Love: The Story of Marion’s First Lady of Broadcasting, Madge Cooper Guthery. c. 2011. Written by Scott Spears with Chris Collins. Digitized biographical booklet. This item is preserved as part of the WMRN Radio History Archive.