One of NPR’s original “founding mothers,” Susan Stamberg, is retiring. The news was shared in a note to NPR staff by Editor-in-Chief Edith Chapin, who credited Stamberg with shaping the network’s sound and soul since 1971.
Stamberg made history as the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program, hosting All Things Considered for 14 years before going on to launch Weekend Edition Sunday. Most recently, she served as a Special Correspondent covering the arts.
Among her many accolades, she is a member of both the Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame, and holds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In his tribute, NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon called Stamberg “the voice of NPR: quizzical, curious, respectful, and engaging,” noting that she “has been our franchise” and helped define what the network stands for.
“She is one of the great figures in American broadcast history,” Simon wrote. “Everyone who has ever worked for NPR and its member stations has Susan to thank for making those three letters mean something special to millions of Americans.”
Chapin also credited Stamberg with championing the careers of other storytellers; most notably, encouraging NPR to take a chance on Car Talk’s Tom and Ray Magliozzi. “She expanded the scope and sound of NPR,” Chapin said, “and wasn’t that the point after all?”
Stamberg simply stated, “Easy come, easy go. Love you all.”
Her retirement will take effect on September 1.
