William H. Siemering papers
Collection
0591-MMC
This collection documents the professional activities of radio innovator and advocate William H. Siemering from 1962 through 2022. He was a member of the founding board of NPR, wrote the original mission statement, and helped develop the network's flagship program, "All Things Considered." After a decades-long career in American public radio, Siemering embarked on a second career, helping establish independent radio in South Africa and Eastern Europe. In 1993, Siemering was awarded a five-year MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in recognition of "accomplishments in public radio which demonstrate originality, dedication to creative pursuits and capacity for self-direction." In 2000, National Public Radio gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his "countless contributions to journalism and public radio." Long Island University awarded him the George Polk Award in Journalism in 2019.
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16.5 Linear Feet (10 Paige boxes and 1 oversize box)
27 Tape Reels : audio tapes ; 7" and 12"
4 Videocassettes : VHS
85 Sound Cassettes : audio cassettes
15 electronic_discs : CDs
William H. Siemering (born October 26, 1934) is a radio innovator and was, for over thirty years, a leader in U.S. public radio management, including local and national program development. His later work includes 18 years of experience in international media development in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. Topics include local and national public radio programming, fundraising, audience research in the U.S. as well as teaching journalism and basic broadcasting skills in developing countries. This collection contains professional and personal correspondence, press clippings, publicity materials, manuscripts, transcripts, research files, notes and memoranda, citations, photographs, and audio and videotape (VHS) recordings. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1970s to the 2010s.
William Siemering (born October 26, 1934), a founding member of the Board of Directors of National Public Radio, wrote NPR's mission statement and goals. As the network's first program director (1970-1972), he hired the initial staff and developed the news and information program All Things Considered with them. He continued serving on the NPR Board and participating in policy-making decisions for over a decade, leaving in 1986.
In the 1960s, while manager of WBFO-FM at the State University of New York at Buffalo, he established the first store-front broadcast facility in the African American community, enabling residents to originate 25 hours a week of programs. The station grew from a part-time student activity to a full-time professional public radio service.
He worked in rural communities as a manager and producer/reporter at KCCM-FM, Moorhead, Minnesota (1973-1977). He became Vice President for Programming for Minnesota Public Radio (1977-1978) before moving to WHYY-FM in Philadelphia as Vice President and Station Manager.
During his nine years at WHYY (1978-1987), the audience grew fourfold, the staff threefold, and the annual budget increased from $350,000 to over $2 million. He established a seven-person news staff, upgraded music programming, and helped develop Fresh Air, a popular culture interview program with Terry Gross, into a national program. He received the Edward R. Murrow Award for "outstanding contributions to public broadcasting" from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1986.
Siemering then joined the staff of WJHU-FM in Baltimore, Maryland (1987-1992) as Executive Producer for Soundprint. He was responsible for planning, developing, and producing the national weekly documentary series.
In 1993, Siemering was awarded a five-year MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in recognition of "accomplishments in public radio which demonstrate originality, dedication to creative pursuits and capacity for self-direction."
From 1993 on, Siemering used his knowledge and experience to assist in developing independent media in new democracies. His work with the Open Society Institute – as a staff member and later as a consultant – took him to South Africa, Mozambique, Moldova, Macedonia, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Mongolia, among other countries. Most of his time overseas was spent in South Africa, assisting in developing community radio.
In 2000, National Public Radio gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his "countless contributions to journalism and public radio," and in 2019, Long Island University awarded him the George Polk Award in Journalism.
The collection is organized chronologically and then grouped by organization.
This collection contains audiovisual materials. Items that cannot be used in the Special Collections reading room or are too fragile for researchers require that a digital copy be made prior to use. If you would like to access these materials, please contact us prior to your visit.
This collection was donated to the University of Maryland Libraries by William Siemering on May 17, 2023.
This collection has been minimally processed. The collection came to the archive with some rough organization. The processing archivist arranged files chronologically and in groups reflecting Siemering's career path.
All original folders were replaced with acid-free folders, unlabeled folders were given titles, and some similar separate files were combined into one folder. Relevant newspaper and magazine clippings were copied onto acid-free paper. Out of scope materials were removed.
The entire collection was reboxed.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives