Grace Gibson

Grace Isabel Gibson OAM, (17 June 1905 – 10 July 1989), also known as Grace Atchison and Grace Parr was an American Australian radio entrepreneur, executive and producer. She was best known for her long-running serials Dr. Paul and the local version of NBC hit Portia Faces Life.

Grace Gibson

OAM
Grace Gibson, c.1947
Born
Grace Isabel Gibson

(1905-06-17)17 June 1905
El Paso, Texas
Died10 July 1989(1989-07-10) (aged 84)
Potts Point, New South Wales
Other namesGrace Atchison, Grace Parr
OccupationRadio executive, producer, entrepreneur

Biography

Gibson was born in El Paso, Texas, USA, in 1905 to Calvin Newton Gibson and Mexican Margaret Escobara (Schultz) and finished her schooling in California. She started her career in her native US working for the Radio Transcription Company of America, as a distributor of radio programs, when recruited by Alfred Bennett, general manager of Sydney radio station 2GB, who was visiting the United States. Together they set up American Radio Transcription Agencies (later Artransa Pty Ltd), which sold American recorded radio programs throughout Australia, and Gibson moved to Sydney, Australia in 1934.

Gibson was on a buying trip in the US in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and as a result she was prevented from returning to Australia for several years. Whilst stranded she became manager of her former company, Radio Transcription Company of America.[1]

She later set up her own company, Grace Gibson Radio Productions Pty Ltd, which became one of the biggest producers of radio drama with broadcast productions that would air in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong and Canada.[2]

Gibson continued to produce radio dramas from her Australian headquarters for the South African market until as late as 1971, long after television had replaced radio as the main place to hear drama in the home in most countries. This was because South Africa was virtually the last place in the English-speaking world to introduce television.[3]

Gibson was three times married, she retired in 1978 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1987 in recognition of her services to radio in Australia. She died in 1989 in Potts Point, aged 84.

References
  1. Lane, Richard and National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, 1994, The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama 1923-1960: A History Through Biography, Melbourne University Press, Carlton South, Vic
  2. Murphy, Lynne, 'Gibson, Grace Isabel (1905–1989)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University accessed 5 February 2012
  3. https://lowvelder.co.za/239861/history-television-sa/
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