Susan Stamberg, an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program, has died.

Updated October 16, 2025 at 3:28 PM CDT

Susan Stamberg, an original National Public Radio staffer who went on to become the first U.S. woman to anchor a nightly national news program, died Thursday at the age of 87.

Few figures have informed the sensibility of NPR more than Stamberg. Colleagues considered her a mentor, a matchmaker, a founding mother — always tough, and always true to herself.

"A true humanitarian, she believed in the power of great journalism," Stamberg's son Josh said in a statement. "Her life's work was connection, through ideas and culture."

In addition to her son, Stamberg is survived by her granddaughters Viv

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