Brokaw Gives Address

Tom Brokaw applied for admission to Harvard 38 years ago.

He was rejected.

"I wandered in that cold, desolate place reserved for those people with no Harvard degree," said Brokaw, the anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News."

"One day I stumbled [upon] Bill Gates and he was sympathetic," Brokaw said. "He told me that if he had gotten that Harvard degree there is no telling how much he would be worth."

Although Brokaw delivers the nightly news with stony-faced seriousness, he regaled students with a string of jokes yesterday when he took to the podium in Tercentenary Theatre as the keynote speaker in the annual Class Day festivities.

But Brokaw also imparted words of wisdom during his 20-minute address before thousands of students and parents.

"Your legacy will be the values that you will embrace," Brokaw said.

Brokaw, the father of three grown children, spoke of the importance of balancing a career with a family.

In his own life, Brokaw said, he plays four complementary roles: journalist, father, husband and citizen.

"If any one of those were missing, my life would not be fulfilled," Brokaw said.

Brokaw then turned his attention to what he said he sees as the most pressing issues facing America today.

Noting the proliferation of computers, fax machines, modems and e-mail accounts, Brokaw discussed the huge role technology will play in the future.

But Brokaw reminded students that technological advancements do little to solve the problem of racism in this country.

"There is no delete button for bigotry," he said. "We will be unable to build walls high enough or schools private enough to escape this cancer in our midst."

Brokaw's speech was repeatedly interrupted with applause and laughter, and audience members praised the 56-year-old news anchor.

"I' quasi-enjoyed it," said Elizabeth A. Thomas '96, referring to an article in The Crimson where First Class Marshal Peter S. Cahn '96 described Brokaw as a "quasi-intellectual."

Students said they appreciated how Brokaw personalized the speech by referring to Radcliffe history, campus newspapers and former students.

"Tom Brokaw was fabulous," said Lindsay H. Tomenson '96. "It showed he got to know a little about the class."

Brokaw signed autographs before speaking but left immediately after his address, returning to New York in order to anchor yesterday's broadcast of the "Nightly News.

"There is no delete button for bigotry," he said. "We will be unable to build walls high enough or schools private enough to escape this cancer in our midst."

Brokaw's speech was repeatedly interrupted with applause and laughter, and audience members praised the 56-year-old news anchor.

"I' quasi-enjoyed it," said Elizabeth A. Thomas '96, referring to an article in The Crimson where First Class Marshal Peter S. Cahn '96 described Brokaw as a "quasi-intellectual."

Students said they appreciated how Brokaw personalized the speech by referring to Radcliffe history, campus newspapers and former students.

"Tom Brokaw was fabulous," said Lindsay H. Tomenson '96. "It showed he got to know a little about the class."

Brokaw signed autographs before speaking but left immediately after his address, returning to New York in order to anchor yesterday's broadcast of the "Nightly News.