Susan Stamberg, Pioneering NPR Journalist, Dies at 87

Veteran National Public Radio journalist Susan Stamberg, who became the first woman in the U.S. to anchor a nightly national news program with “All Things Considered,” died Thursday, according to NPR. She was 87.

Stamberg, who retired just six weeks ago, had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored by the Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame.

“Susan’s voice was not only a cornerstone of NPR — it was a cornerstone of American life,” Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and chief executive, said in a statement to the Washington Post. “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.”

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Born Susan Levitt in Newark, N.J., she graduated Barnard College and started out at WAMU public radio in Washington, D.C.

She joined NPR upon its founding in 1971, starting out as an audio editor who cut audio tape with a razor blade, and in 1972 became co-host of evening news magazine “All Things Considered.” Stamberg hosted “All Things Considered” for 14 years in an era when few women got a chance at the top radio and television spots.

Her interviews often focused on the arts or quirky stories, rather than straight politics. She was also known for sharing her mother-in-law’s famous cranberry sauce recipe (it involves horseradish) with her listeners.

After “All Things Considered,” Stamberg shifted to “Weekend Edition Sunday,” where she helped launch a puzzle segment and invited the brothers who would go on to do “Car Talk” to do a weekly segment on the show. She then became a special correspondent, often focusing on stories about culture and sometimes about Hollywood.

She is survived by her son Josh Stamberg, an actor, and two granddaughters. Her husband Louis Stamberg died in 2007.