Susan Stamberg, First Woman To Host A News Program And Founding Mother Of NNP Dies At The Age Of 87

The 'founding mother' of National Public Radio and the first female to host a national news program, Susan Stamberg, passed away, leaving the world heartbroken. The news anchor passed away at the age of 87 on October 16, 2025. As soon as the news of her demise broke out, people from across the world have been showing their gratitude to Susan.

Susan Stamberg passed away at the age of 87

Susan Stamberg's demise has left everyone heartbroken. While the cause of her demise has not been disclosed yet, the news has come as a massive shock to the entire broadcasting world. Her contribution to the field of broadcasting is immense. However, she wasn't just a crucial part of the industry; she was also someone who opened the doors for other women to enter the field.

Susan Stamberg joined National Public Radio in the 1970s

Susan Stamberg joined NPR in the early 1970s when it was getting off the ground as a network of radio stations across the country. During her career, she interviewed thousands of people, from prominent politicians and artists to less well-known figures, such as chefs at the White House and people who work behind the scenes in Hollywood. 

Susan Stamberg became the first woman to host a news show

Susan explained in an oral history interview with Oregon station KLCC in January 2025 that she didn't have women in broadcasting to model herself after when she became the host of All Things Considered in 1972. For the unversed, NPR's obituary for Susan Stamberg quoted her colleague Jack Mitchell, who said she had an 'obvious New York accent.' All Things Considered only had five reporters to draw on while they filled their 90-minute program, creating daily challenges. She lowered her voice to sound more authoritative. However, a few days later, the program manager, Bill Siemering, told her to just be herself. She was quoted as saying:

"The only ones on were men, and the only thing I knew to do was imitate them. And that was new too in its day, because everybody else, the women, were trained actors, and so they came with very careful accents and very careful delivery. They weren’t relaxed and natural. So we made a new sound with radio as well, with NPR."

How Susan Stamberg became the 'founding mother' of NPR

In a conversation with KLCC, Susan revealed that she coined the term 'founding mother' to refer to herself and three other women who helped launch NPR: Cokie Roberts, Nina Totenberg and Linda Wertheimer. She went on to host All Things Considered for 14 years and even became the host of Sunday Puzzle with Will Shortz. In her interview with KLCC, she stated:

"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."

More about Susan Stamberg

Susan Stamberg was married to Louis C. Stamberg, who died on October 9, 2007. She has a son, Josh Stamberg, who is an actor. After All Things Considered, she became a cultural correspondent for Morning Edition and Weekend Edition Saturday. She retired in September 2025. Susan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Susan Stamberg.

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