Susan Stamberg Passes Away

Broadcast legend Susan Stamberg, one of NPR’s original staffers and the first woman to anchor a nightly national news program in the U.S., has died at 87. Stamberg began her career at WAMU, where she developed the smart, conversational style that became a hallmark of All Things Considered. She joined NPR before its first broadcast more than 50 years ago and quickly became one of the network’s most recognizable and trusted voices.

Stamberg was one of NPR’s “founding mothers”, a small group of pioneering women, including Linda Wertheimer, Cokie Roberts, and Nina Totenberg, who built public radio’s news identity at a time when women were largely excluded from serious broadcast journalism.

Stamberg retired last week. More from WAMU.