Tom Brokaw (placeholder)

Tom Brokaw was born in Webster, South Dakota and graduated from Yankton High Senior High School in Yankton, South Dakota, where he was a debater. According to debate-team legend, his wife was a better debater than he was. As a high school student, Brokaw was governor of South Dakota Boy’s State, and in that role, he accompanied then South Dakota Governor Joe Foss to New York City for a joint appearance on a TV game show. It was to be the beginning of a long relationship with Foss, whom Brokaw would later feature in his book about WW II vets, The Greatest Generation. Brokaw started his collegiate studies at the University of Iowa from 1958 to 1959 where he says he majored in “beer and coeds”. In 2002, he set up a scholarship for American Indian students at the University of Iowa. Brokaw dropped out there and then transfered to the University of South Dakota where he studied political science and worked as a radio reporter from 1959 to 1962. His journalism career began at KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska.

In 1965, he became an editor and anchorman of the late-evening news on WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. The following year he joined NBC News, reporting from California and anchoring for KNBC in Los Angeles.
Tom Brokaw reporting on the Vietnam War at KNBC-TV in 1968
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Tom Brokaw reporting on the Vietnam War at KNBC-TV in 1968

From 1973-1976 he was a NBC News White House correspondent, covering the Watergate scandal. During this time, he was asked by the higher-rated CBS News to join it after CBS’s management had decided its reporter, Dan Rather, was too anti-Nixon. The switch never happened after word of it was leaked to the press.

In 1976, Brokaw became NBC News’ Today Show host. He was also the floor reporter for the two major parties’ presidential nominating conventions. On September 5, 1983 he became the anchor of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.

In 1987, he wrote The Arms, the Men, the Money, investigating Contra rebels. That same year he conducted the first one-on-one American TV interview with Mikhail Gorbachev, and won an A.I.duPont-Columbia University Award. He also moderated the debates among all declared presidential candidates of both parties.

In 1989, he reported the collapse of the Berlin Wall. From 1992-1993 he anchored The Brokaw Report series of prime-time “critical issues” specials. He was also host, with Katie Couric, of a prime-time newsmagazine called Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric. The show aired from 1993-1994.

In 1995, Brokaw reported from the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. The following year he reported from the scene of the TWA flight 800 tragedy.

In 1997, he interviewed Charlie Trie and Johnny Chung, key figures in the campaign finance abuse scandal.

In 1999, he conducted the first North American TV interview with Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, in Moscow. He also traveled to Tirana, Albania during NATO airstrikes in Yugoslavia.

In 2000, he conducted the first American TV interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow. He was also Master of Ceremonies at the opening of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In 2002, Brokaw announced his intention to retire as anchor of the NBC Nightly News after the 2004 Presidential election. NBC then announced that Brian Williams would replace Brokaw as the anchor of NBC Nightly News on December 1, 2004. NBC also announced that Brokaw will remain with the network in a part-time capacity through 2014 serving as an analyst and producing documentary programs.

By the end of his time as Nightly News anchor, Brokaw was regarded as the most popular news personality in the United States. His program was consistently rated the highest evening news show. Tom Brokaw consistantly beat the late Peter Jennings and Dan Rather in the evening news ratings.

He closed his final Nightly News broadcast in front of 15.7 million viewers on NBC by saying:

"That's Nightly News for this Wednesday night. I'm Tom Brokaw. You'll see Brian Williams here tomorrow night; and I'll see you along the way."

He is presently on the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

He has been married to Meredith Lynn Auld (a former Miss South Dakota and author) since 1962.