One of the first staff members of what started out as National Public Radio and is today simply NPR has died at the age of 87. In the words of her son Josh, Susan Stamberg was “a true humanitarian” who believed in the power of great journalism. “Her life’s work was connection, through ideas and culture.”
Stamberg is widely credited as the first woman to anchor a nightly national news program, and retired within the last several weeks.
With honors from the National Radio Hall of Fame and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Stamberg gained fame and appreciation from generations of colleagues for such acts as knitting while seating behind the mic for NPR’s signature afternoon program All Things Considered.
Earning that seat didn’t come easy for Stamberg, who was first given the task of cutting audio tape and behind the scenes in a culture that largely excluded women from key consumer-facing roles.
Stamberg had just turned 87 last month. Her career began at WAMU-FM in Washington, D.C., the American University-owned NPR Member station. The task at hand? Calling the weather phone, jotting down what she heard, and then offering the local weather forecast to listeners. The problem? She forgot to call before going on the air. As NPR reporter David Folkenflik recalled, Stamberg told WAMU listeners it was 98 degrees. This was in February, when D.C. temperatures rarely rose above 45.
By 1972, Stamberg had become an anchor for All Things Considered, rising from a producer role. In 1986, she moved to Weekend Edition Sunday.
While the majority of her career was spent in Washington, Stamberg relocated to Culver City, Calif., the home of NPR West, following her husband’s passing in 2007.
In addition to her son, Stamberg is survived by her granddaughters Vivian and Lena.
