On Friday, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s (SMCM) Center for the Study of Democracy hosted a forum with two distinguished journalists, Tom Brokaw – former NBC news anchor – and Benjamin C. Bradlee, legendary editor of The Washington Post.
Before a packed house, “An Evening with Tom Brokaw” featured Brokaw reminiscing about his growing up in journalism and trying to fill the shoes of journalists like Ben Bradlee and Walter Cronkite.
The esteemed journalist’s prepared remarks, scheduled for 10 to 15 minutes, lasted about 30 minutes and energized the elbow-to-elbow audience. A few questions were allowed after the speech.
He addressed the tumultuous 1960s and shared his thoughts on the War in Iraq and the current political campaigns. The intimate audience sat attentively while he described the birth of the 1960s counterculture and the fierce rivalry between Bobby Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy as they campaigned to be the Democratic Party’s candidate for the presidency in 1968.
Silence permeated the small auditorium when Brokaw talked about the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.
Brokaw lightened the mood with a story of a World War II veteran who pained on hearing that his daughter was moving in with an unwashed, long-haired, tattooed boyfriend and his son was moving to Canada to avoid Vietnam and the draft.
Mark Apter, VP of Marketing and Public Relations for the college, said Brokaw “took the time to bring significant history alive for a younger audience.”
Apter also reported that Brokaw informed the audience while maintaining his journalistic objectivity, especially when dealing with the political campaigns of today’s presidential race.
“The audience was completely enthralled with his [Brokaw’s} remarks and enjoyed his Walter Cronkite stories very much,” said Judy Carr, from the college’s Public Relations Office.