Susan Stamberg, award-winning journalist and one of public radio’s most beloved and pioneering voices, died Thursday. Stamberg made history as the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program, hosting All Things Considered for 14 years.
Her passing comes less than two months after her full retirement from NPR, where she most recently served as Special Correspondent, with a focus on the arts. Considered a “Founding Mother” of NPR, the Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame inductee also holds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In a statement, NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher said, “Susan’s voice was not only a cornerstone of NPR – it was a cornerstone of American life. She showed that journalism could be both rigorous and deeply personal. She inspired countless journalists to believe they could explore life and truth, and lead with both authority and warmth.”
Upon her retirement, NPR Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon called her “the voice of NPR: quizzical, curious, respectful, and engaging,” adding, “She has been our franchise and helped define what the network stands for. She is one of the great figures in American broadcast history. 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.”
