Anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004, Brokaw is the only person to ever host all three major NBC News programs: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press. He is also the New York Times best-selling author of runaway hits The Greatest Generation, The Greatest Generation Speaks and Boom! Voices of the Sixties, as well as recipient of the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement and the first journalist to ever receive the George Catlett Marshall Medal, the U.S. Army’s highest award.
During his visit to Traverse City, Tom will appear at three unique National Writers Series events, all designed to engage different generations and audiences with the author, as well as raise funds for the National Writers Series Scholarship Fund, benefiting high school students in the five-county area with scholarships to attend college for writing.
School Visit
Tom will meet with students grades 9-12 from the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District at 1:00 p.m. on May 12 at TC West Senior High School for a free presentation entitled “Tweet is a Verb. Writing is Forever.” The session will give students interested in pursuing writing as a career a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from Tom personally about his life’s work and experience, as well as ask questions of the anchor. During his visit, Tom will also announce the launch of the National Writers Series Scholarship Program, which will accept submissions from students beginning with Tom’s visit May 12 until July 28.
Fundraising Dinner
Tom Brokaw will join 100 lucky guests for a private gourmet dinner in the Peninsula Room at Bowers Harbor Inn on Old Mission Peninsula on May 12 from 5-7 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to meet and have dinner with Tom Brokaw during the two-hour event, which features an intimate cocktail hour (beer and wine included in the ticket price) and four-course meal. Tickets for the dinner are on sale now and are $250 per seat ($175 tax-deductible) or $2000/table (8-top). Proceeds will benefit the National Writers Series and its Scholarship Fund. The Fundraising Dinner with Tom Brokaw is sponsored by Wayne and Terry Lobdell.
City Opera House Event
“An Evening with Tom Brokaw” will be held on May 12 at the City Opera House from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The event will feature an intimate and revealing Q&A with Brokaw hosted by National Writers Series founder and best-selling author Doug Stanton, covering the anchor’s life, work and decades-long experience reporting on some of the world’s most famous individuals and events. Tickets for this event are sold out – however, portions of the evening will be rebroadcast to the public on Interlochen Public Radio and on UpNorth TV.
For more information on Tom Brokaw and the National Writers Series, visit nationalwritersseries.org.