“Ruth was a force of nature and I took great joy in watching how much respect - and even fear - she would elicit from people wherever she went.”

“As soon as I heard KCRW, I was in love. I befriended someone who worked there, who advised me to try out for a forthcoming job opening. She explained that the process had a foregone conclusion, but that it would get me ‘in the system.’ Sure enough, I got called within a month to fill in for someone who was on vacation. His vacation kept getting extended, so I became part of the family. “

“As one of the lucky ones, I was flown 3000 miles to be yelled at by Ruth.

I was working on NPR’s ‘HEAT with John Hockenberry.’ As a supporting partner of the show, Ruth was not happy that her guidance was not being properly respected by some prominent members of the New York staff. She was threatening to pull the plug on a week of programming based out of KCRW for the LA Arts Festival that HEAT was planning. I was asked to go to LA and help manage the issue.“

“Ruth Seymour, then a leader in Radio, was a force to be reckoned with. Her strength was undeniable, but what truly defined her leadership was her unwavering belief in empowering on-air talent. Unlike some stations with rigid structures, Ruth fostered an environment where we could produce our shows with a great deal of autonomy. This freedom, this trust, is what gave someone like me, with minimal formal experience, the chance to land a position as a radio announcer and board operator.”

“When I moved to Los Angeles to lead KUSC, I can't tell you how nervous I was to meet Ruth. Ruth was already a legend in public radio, and I knew I had one shot at making a good impression. Fortunately, we had a great dinner that led to a friendship I cherished.”