Molly Gregor was born Mary Joanne Farquharson Wilson in Liverpool on 15 June 1902. She studied at Edinburgh University, graduating BSc in Pure Science in 1924 and PhD in Botany, 1928. She went on to conduct postgraduate research (into Dutch Elm Disease) in the Department of Mycology, University of Edinburgh, and at Munich. In 1929, she married Dr James Wylie Gregor (1900-1980), Director of the Scottish Plant Breeding Station. In the 1930s, she worked at the Scottish Plant Breeding Station and at the Royal Botanic Garden.

In 1940, Molly took the Certificate in Social Study at Edinburgh University. She was awarded the James Carruthers Memorial Prize as the best student of her year, both on the practical and theoretical sides of her work. Immediately afterwards, she was appointed as Assistant in the Department of Social Study in 1942 prior to her official appointment as lecturer in 1946; she was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1962. Molly was appointed acting head of school for two years between 1964 and 1966 while a replacement for Marjorie Brown was sought, eventually handing on to another interim head, Megan Browne, when she left the university in 1966.

She died in Edinburgh on 19 July 1994.

Source: Obituary in the Year Book of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1981, and University of Edinburgh, Department of Social Study & Training, Report for Sessions 1941-42 and 1942-43, p. 4. Reference code - EUA IN1/ACU/S2 (Acc.2011/002)