St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Center for the Study of Democracy will host a forum with one of America’s most distinguished journalists, Tom Brokaw, former NBC news anchor, at 8 p.m. Friday, in the Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall.

 

 “An Evening with Tom Brokaw” will focus on Brokaw’s recent books as well as his views on world events, the state of journalism today and current politics, including the history-making presidential campaign.

 He and Benjamin C. Bradlee, legendary editor of The Washington Post, will be questioned during the forum by Professor Michael Cain, director of the Center for the Study of Democracy, and Professor Chuck Holden, associate professor of history. They will be joined by the student editors of the College’s Point News, Eric Schlein and Mariel Saez. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is very limited and reserved seating is not available.

 Brokaw will share rich perspectives gained during a long and distinguished career with students and the public. Before the forum, he will meet with students from Professor Holden’s U.S. and World War II history class. The class read Brokaw’s book on World War II, “The Greatest Generation,” and will have the opportunity to ask him questions about it.

 Before becoming the best-selling author of such nonfiction works as “The Greatest Generation” and “Boom!,” about the 1960s, Brokaw was witness to some of the most defining events of the mid-late 20th century. He covered the Nixon-era Watergate scandal as a White House correspondent, and conducted a historic, exclusive 1987 interview of then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He was the only anchor present to report on the opening of the East German border the night the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the first to travel to interview the Dalai Lama on human rights abuses in Tibet. He was on the air round-the-clock during the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

 In 2004, after 21 years as anchor and managing editor of the “NBC Nightly News,” Brokaw retired to pursue other projects. He is now reporting and producing documentaries, and provides commentary during breaking news events.

 Brokaw has been honored with journalism’s most significant awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award and the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted as a fellow into the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His documentaries have won the Peabody award, an Emmy for Outstanding Interview, and the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.

 Brokaw, a native of South Dakota and graduate of the University of South Dakota, began his career in 1962 in Omaha, Nebraska, at KMTV. He anchored news programs in Atlanta and Los Angeles before joining NBC News in 1966. For five years he anchored the “Today” show and became sole anchor of the nightly news in 1983.

 The Bradlee Lecture Series honors the legacy of Ben Bradlee, vice president at large of the Washington Post Co. and vice chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees. He is also chairman of the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission. Prior speakers in the series have included Bob Woodward, Tony Kornheiser and David Broder.


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