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Kate Lehrer, Jim Lehrer’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts Need to Know

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Kate Lehrer, Jim Lehrer Wife
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Kate Lehrer pictured in April 2015.

Kate Lehrer is Jim Lehrer’s wife. The couple married in 1960 and three daughters together, Amanda, Lucy and Jamie. Jim Lehrer died on January 23 at the age of 85.

Lehrer’s passing was announced in a statement from PBS. The press release said that Lehrer had passed away at home, surrounded by his family. The couple lived for many ears in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington D.C.

The statement mentioned that it was Lehrer’s belief that “being yourself — journalist, writer, family man, citizen — can be a high calling.” The press release added that it was Lehrer would regularly tell those who worked with him that being a journalist was “not about us.” Lehrer stepped down from his role as the regular anchor of the PBS NewsHour in June 2011 after 36 years of broadcasting. Lehrer had debuted the show with his co-host, Robert MacNeil, in January 1976.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Kate Is a Graduate of Texas Christian University

Jim Lehrer Kate Staples

GettyJim Lehrer and Kate attend the Atlantic Private Dinner on April 24, 2015 in Washington, DC.

In 1960, Kate Staples, a novelist and teacher, married Lehrer in Texas. The couple went on to have three children together. Staples is a native of Waco, Texas, and a graduate of Texas Christian University where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Kate’s father, Thomas, was a county extension agent, and her mother, Lucy, was a social worker.

Kate told the Orlando Sentinel in 1993 interview that her first novel drew a lot on her experiences growing up in Texas. Kate mentioned in the interview that she spent “a lot of time watching politics as a spectator sport.” In January of that same year, Jim and Kate Lehrer were guests on Charlie Rose’s PBS show.

2. Kate Lehrer’s Novel, ‘Out of Eden,’ Won the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel

During her writing career, Kate wrote four novels, in addition to numerous short stories and essays. Her first novel, “Best Intentions,” was published in 1987. That was followed by “When They Took Away the man in the Moon” in 1993. Her third novel, “Out of Eden,” was named as the winner of the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel when it was published in 1997. Her most recent novel, which was well-received by the Washington Post, was released in 2004, and titled “Confessions of a Bigamist.” The Post’s wrote that Kate Lehrer’s work fit into “the burgeoning category of chick-lit.” While Newsweek said of the book, “Her romantic juggling act is a middle-aged woman’s fantasy tale — hardly realistic, but a great escape.”

Jim Lehrer is quoted in the Post’s feature as saying of his wife’s writing style, “Kate needs isolation to write. I could write in the middle of RFK Stadium with 50,000 people screaming.” Kate added that her favorite book growing up in Texas as “Anna Karenina,” the story of an engaged Russian aristocrat who falls in love with another man. Thought as she got older, she was more drawn to the work of William Faulkner.

3. Kate Lehrer Became a Grandmother in Her 40s

Kate wrote in a 2009 Washingtonian essay that she became a grandmother in her 40s when the couple’s daughter, Jamie, gave birth. A separate online profile on Kate said that she chose to be a mother first over her career.

4. In 2015, Kate Became the Sponsor of the USS Wichita

In 2015, Kate was chosen by the USS Navy as the sponsor of the USS Wichita. Wichita was Jim Lehrer’s birthplace and he was a former U.S. Marine, attaining the rank of captain. Kate said of the honor, “I am hoping it can be used on good missions – to save people or to help our country. It will do what our country needs for it to do.” Kate’s duties included not only the ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle on the ship’s bow, but she also is expected to remain in contact with the ship’s crew and be involved in special events throughout the life of the ship.

5. Lehrer Is Being Mourned by Some of the Media’s Biggest Names

Jim Lehrer Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O’Connor and Lehrer participate in the Responsibilities of Citizenship conversation before they receive the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s highest accolade, the Churchill Bell, for citizenship on April 30, 2011 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

As news of Jim Lehrer’s sad passing spreads, some of the biggest names in media have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to the great newsman. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Jim Lehrer, “Our nation has lost a champion for truth and transparency. As one of the founders of PBS NewsHour, as well as its longtime host, Jim Lehrer worked to keep America’s leaders accountable to the people. My prayers are with his wife, Kate, and their family.”

Here are some of the most poignant messages of remembrance and condolence:

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