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NPR’s “Founding Mother,” Susan Stamberg, Passes Away at 87
Washington D.C. – Susan Stamberg, a true pioneer in broadcast journalism and one of the integral figures in the formation of National Public Radio (NPR), has passed away at the age of 87. Often referred to as a “founding mother” of the network, Stamberg was the first woman to host a national news program, leaving an indelible mark on the industry.
NPR confirmed her passing on Thursday, though no cause of death was provided.
Stamberg joined NPR in the early 1970s, as the organization was just beginning to establish itself as a nationwide network of radio stations. Over her illustrious career, she conducted thousands of interviews, speaking with a diverse range of individuals from prominent political figures and celebrated artists to lesser-known but equally fascinating personalities like White House chefs and Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes talent.
In a January oral history interview with Oregon’s KLCC, Stamberg reflected on the lack of female role models in broadcasting when she took the helm of “All Things Considered” in 1972. “The only ones on were men, and the only thing I knew to do was imitate them,” she explained, recalling how she initially lowered her voice to project authority. However, program manager Bill Siemering encouraged her to simply “be herself.”
This directive proved revolutionary for radio at the time. “And that was new too in its day, because everybody else, the women, were trained actors, and so they came with a very careful accents and very careful delivery.
They weren’t relaxed and natural,” Stamberg stated. “So we made a new sound with radio as well, with NPR.”
Her colleague Jack Mitchell, quoted in NPR’s obituary, even noted her “obvious New York accent” as part of her authentic appeal.
During her 14-year tenure as host of “All Things Considered,” Stamberg faced the daily challenge of filling a 90-minute program with a team of only five reporters. It was during this period that she famously coined the term “founding mother” to describe herself and fellow NPR pioneers Cokie Roberts, Nina Totenberg, and Linda Wertheimer. “I got tired of hearing about Founding Fathers, and I knew we were not that, so we were obviously Founding Mothers, and I was going to put that on the map,” she asserted.
Following “All Things Considered,” Stamberg went on to host “Weekend Edition Sunday,” where she collaborated with Will Shortz to launch the popular Sunday puzzle feature. Shortz, who remains the program’s puzzle master and is now the crossword editor for the New York Times, shared that Stamberg envisioned the show as a radio equivalent of a Sunday newspaper, offering a blend of news, culture, sports, and a puzzle.
She later served as a cultural correspondent for “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition Saturday” before her retirement in September.
A notable moment in Stamberg’s career occurred in 1979 when she hosted a two-hour radio call-in program with then-President Jimmy Carter from the Oval Office. Unscreened questions from listeners were fielded live, marking only the second time Carter had participated in such a program, the first being with Walter Cronkite.
Stamberg’s contributions to radio were widely recognized. She was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, which lauded her “conversational style, intelligence, and knack for finding an interesting story.”
Her extensive interview roster included luminaries such as Nancy Reagan, Annie Liebowitz, Rosa Parks, and James Baldwin. In 2020, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born Susan Levitt in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938, Stamberg grew up in Manhattan. She met her husband, Louis Stamberg, while working in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is survived by her son, Josh Stamberg, and her granddaughters, Vivian and Lena.