Susan Stamberg, NPR Trailblazer and Broadcasting Pioneer, Dies at 87

Susan Stamberg, a trailblazing journalist celebrated as a “founding mother” of National Public Radio (NPR) and the first woman to anchor a national news program, has died at 87.

NPR announced that Stamberg passed away on Thursday, October 16. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Stamberg joined NPR in the early 1970s, becoming a central figure as the network took shape. Over her decades-long career, she interviewed a wide range of people, from major political figures and artists to behind-the-scenes workers like White House chefs and Hollywood crew members.

She began hosting NPR’s flagship program All Things Considered in 1972, remaining in the role for 14 years. Reflecting on those early days, Stamberg once shared that with no women to look up to in broadcasting, she initially tried to imitate male broadcasters by lowering her voice. Program manager Bill Siemering soon encouraged her to simply speak naturally, a shift that helped shape NPR’s distinct conversational tone.

Stamberg helped establish the network with fellow journalists Cokie Roberts, Nina Totenberg, and Linda Wertheimer — a group she dubbed the “Founding Mothers” to emphasize their role in building NPR from the ground up.

After leaving All Things Considered, she went on to host Weekend Edition Sunday, where she created the Sunday puzzle segment with Will Shortz. She later served as a cultural correspondent for Morning Edition and Weekend Edition Saturday, retiring in September.

In 1979, Stamberg made history again by hosting a live, unscripted two-hour call-in radio event with President Jimmy Carter from the Oval Office.

Renowned for her warmth, intelligence, and curiosity, Stamberg interviewed numerous iconic figures including Rosa Parks, James Baldwin, Nancy Reagan, and Annie Leibovitz. Her contributions earned her a place in the National Radio Hall of Fame and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

Born Susan Levitt in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938, she grew up in Manhattan. She is survived by her son, actor Josh Stamberg, and her granddaughters, Vivian and Lena.