In Memoriam: Esther Kartiganer, 1938-2012

Esther Kartiganer, a senior editor and producer for CBS News and founding member of the national board of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, died earlier this month in Aspen, Colorado, after suffering a heart attack while bicycling. She was 74 years old. Kartiganer also served on the Brandeis University board of trustees.

Kartiganer was born in Berlin but came to the United States as an infant. She attended Brandeis University, where she was a member of the undefeated women’s basketball team during the 1955-56 season. She graduated from Brandeis with a degree in political science. After working for a political polling firm, in 1964 she was hired by CBS News as an office assistant. She worked at CBS for more than 40 years and became senior producer for 60 Minutes, the network’s highly rated primetime news magazine.

When Kartiganer left the network in 2005, CBS made a donation to Brandeis to fund a professorship in women’s and gender studies. In 2007, the women’s and gender studies program created the Kartiganer Prize, which is given to an undergraduate student for outstanding work in journalism and women’s studies.