Mary graduated from Cairn in 2017 with a BA in History and shortly after began volunteering at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) in Philadelphia. After about a year and a half of volunteering, she was offered a job as an Assistant Researcher in Research by Mail. Six months later, Mary was promoted to Researcher, but her hours remained very limited and she was considered as a Contractor rather than a staff member. In fall of 2020, she was finally offered a staff position, and her hours were further increased over that year. She is now the primary researcher for this department, handling the large majority of orders which they receive.

Research by Mail is geared toward those who live far from Philadelphia and are unable to travel to our library to conduct research amongst our collections. Through Research by Mail, Mary conduct the research on their behalf. Requests they receive include many for genealogical research, as well as requests from scholars, graduate and PHD students, authors, museums, and more. Mary has conducted research for clients from across the U.S., various countries in Europe, Canada, Costa Rica, China, Australia, and New Zealand. These projects have covered a broad range of topics, and have allowed her to research some very unique manuscripts and collections, and gain a broader understanding of past cultures and events.