Mary Mason began her radio career in 1958 as a gospel DJ and was a fixture on Philly station WHAT-AM. In 1970, WHAT launched the talk show "Mornings with Mary," which gave the outspoken Mason a platform to discuss a variety of social and political issues.

Former KYW Newsradio anchor Vince Hill worked on "Mornings with Mary" early in his career and says she was just as outspoken off the air as she was on the microphone.

In a social media post, WURD Radio called Mason a vital figure in political, social and civil rights in both Philadelphia and the nation.

(Photo provided by Thera Martin, courtesy of Mary Mason's private photo collection, which is under the care of Deborah Satterwhite, Mary Mason's legal guardian.)