The daughter of Swedish parents, Santry was born in Woodcliff, New Jersey, and majored in journalism at New York University.
[5] She wrote for the women's department of The Washington Post[6] and was director of radio programs for the New York Evening Journal.
[7] On radio, Santry specialized in three-minute interviews of celebrities and socially prominent people, with topics ranging from decorating bathrooms to international politics.
[5] At one point, Santry acted in summer stock theater in White Plains, New York, but she decided that her talents lay elsewhere.
[12] The Joseph Patrick McEvoy and Margaret Santry papers are housed at the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center.