Mary L. Bell (1901–1995) was the first African-American to own and operate a radio station in the city of Detroit, Michigan, as president and chairperson of Bell Broadcasting Corporation.
[1] She married Haley Bell, and they had two daughters.
Following Haley's death, Mary succeeded him as president and chairperson of the board.
[4] Bell was the parent company of the Detroit radio stations WJZZ-FM and WCHB-AM, among the first African-American owned and operated radio stations in the U.S.[5] Bell was active in a variety of organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP, and the YMCA.
[1] Bell died of natural causes on March 25, 1995, in Detroit, Michigan.