Mary Marvin Breckinridge Patterson (October 2, 1905 – December 11, 2002), was an American photojournalist, cinematographer, and philanthropist.
She used her middle name, Marvin, both professionally and personally to distinguish herself from her cousin Mary Breckinridge (founder of the Frontier Nursing Service) and to avoid the prejudice against women that was prevalent at the time.
I also got the ability to study for myself any subject in which I was interested, and learned how to go about such a study.” Furthermore, while at Vassar, Mary Marvin majored in French, minored in history and even served as president of North (now known as Jewett House) when she was a junior.
[1] After her graduation from school, Marvin began working for her cousin, Mary, in the Frontier Nursing Service.
[3][5] Following The Forgotten Frontier, Marvin then produced and directed a piece called She Goes to Vassar, which was meant to showcase what goes on in college, especially for the women, and to also keep alumnae informed after they had graduated.
During World War II, Marvin was hired by Edward R. Murrow as the first female news broadcaster to report from Europe for the CBS Radio Network.
The subtle implication that Germany was no longer free went over the heads of her German censors, and the comment was permitted to be broadcast.
MARPAT, a foundation she created, gave grants to "cultural, environmental, historical, and social service organizations".
In 1985 she created The MARPAT Foundation, which continues to make grants to museums, galleries, environmental and historical organizations, and to cultural and social service groups within the greater Washington Metropolitan area.
[11] In 1974 she donated her family estate in York, Maine (now listed on the National Register of Historic Places), to Bowdoin College for use as the Breckinridge Public Affairs Center.
[4] In 1987, a study room was dedicated to Mary Breckinridge in the Department of Special Collections at the University of Kentucky.
[4] She served on boards and committees for the following organizations: The Frontier Nursing Service, the Textile Museum, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Smithsonian Institution.
[11] Eight years after her passing, the Library of Congress recognized her wartime photojournalism and broadcasts along with seven other female journalists and photographers which included: Clare Booth Luce, Janet Flanner, Dorothea Lange and May Craig.