First Mention: Susan Stamberg Celebrates 45th Anniversary At NPR
Our "First Mention" feature salutes Susan Stamberg on her 45th anniversary at NPR. She began as a production assistant on April 5, 1971 and was first heard on air in June 1971.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Now, a bow...
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
And a curtsy.
SHAPIRO: ...To someone we consider NPR royalty. We'll do it with our feature...
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: First Mention.
CORNISH: First Mention is our chance to pinpoint the moment NPR listeners heard a name, a voice or a subject on air for the very first time.
SHAPIRO: April 5, 1971 - 45 years ago today, founding mother Susan Stamberg started work at National Public Radio.
CORNISH: She worked behind the scenes. Her job was to prepare other people's reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)
ROBERT CONLEY, BYLINE: From National Public Radio in Washington, I'm Robert Conley with ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
CORNISH: Susan Stamberg's unmistakable voice didn't appear on our air until June 30, 1971.
SHAPIRO: It was during an interview with Philip Hirschkop, a lawyer. He was involved in defending thousands of people who were arrested earlier that spring during an antiwar protest. Here's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED's first host, Robert Conley, introducing Susan's piece.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)
CONLEY: Susan Stamberg went over to talk to Philip Hirschkop, and her first question to him was about how many of those 13,400 youngsters arrested were his clients.
PHILIP HIRSCHKOP: Probably all of them. A number...
CORNISH: OK, so where's Susan? Oh, she's there, listening intently.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)
HIRSCHKOP: Were charged with unlawful entry.
SUSAN STAMBERG, BYLINE: The D.C. Corporation Counsel, C. Francis Murphy, dropped something like 2,500 cases, and so far there've been 10 - haven't there - people who've been convicted.
HIRSCHKOP: Yes.
STAMBERG: What's the present situation then?
SHAPIRO: That's her, Susan Stamberg, 31 years old, making her on-air NPR debut.
CORNISH: But her really big moment at NPR happened almost a year later when she became host of this program on March 1, 1972.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)
STAMBERG: From National Public Radio in Washington, I'm Susan Stamberg with ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
SHAPIRO: With that, Susan Stamberg made history as the first woman to anchor a national nightly news broadcast in the United States.
CORNISH: Here's to you, Ms. Stamberg, happy 45th anniversary at NPR.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
STAMBERG: Tonight on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED - supporters of George Wallace discuss the reasons for their support.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
STAMBERG: Also tonight, a conversation with an electronic music virtuoso.
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