Providence, RI -- Tom Brokaw, the highly respected former anchor of NBC Nightly News, will deliver the keynote address at Providence College's Eighty-Seventh Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 15, 2005, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Downtown Providence.

"We deeply appreciate that Tom accepted our invitation to address Providence College graduates, even as he was planning his departure as the anchor of NBC Nightly News," noted College President Rev. Philip A. Smith, O.P. "In September 2001, the freshmen class of 2005 had barely settled into college when their lives, and all of our lives, changed forever," continued Father Smith. "As one of the most respected journalists in our lifetime -- who has witnessed and reported on the major events that have shaped our world -- Tom's presence and words will be a memorable conclusion to their college years."

Brokaw's calm demeanor and baritone voice have been a trusted staple in American living rooms for decades. His long tenure in television news began in 1962 at KMTV in Omaha, Neb., and later continued at stations in Atlanta, Ga., and Los Angeles, Calif., before he joined NBC News in 1966. He anchored the Today program from 1976 to 1981 and then spent more than 20 years as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News until this month, when he made his final broadcast from the program's helm in New York City on December 1.

Asked his reason for stepping away from the anchor desk, Brokaw told Time magazine, "I wanted to change seasons while I still had my physical and, to some degree, my intellectual health and pursue some interests that I've always had, without worrying about racing back to New York to get on the air. I wanted to have more time to think about fewer things."

The acclaim heaped upon Brokaw is due in part to his widespread appeal among viewers and the changing nature of the media business, but also largely because of his accomplishments. During the course of his 38 years with NBC News, Brokaw covered every American presidential election from 1968 through 2004; served as NBC White House correspondent during the Watergate controversy; moderated nine primary or general election debates; and obtained exclusive, historic interviews with foreign leaders including Mikhail Gorbachev, Vladimir Putin, and the Dalai Lama.

He also has broadcast from the scene of national tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the TWA Flight 800 crash; was the only network anchor present at the toppling of the Berlin Wall in 1989; and reported from numerous international capitals and hot spots including, most recently, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq. After becoming the first American news anchor to report that the war with Iraq had begun on March 19, 2003, Brokaw returned there twice --during the summer of 2003 and in June 2004 -- to report on developments.

In that time, the South Dakota native garnered more than a mantel-full of broadcast journalism's most prestigious honors: Emmy, Peabody, National Press Club, Overseas Press Club, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, National Headliner, and Edward R. Murrow awards. He also earned accolades from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the American Legion; received lifetime achievement and distinguished service honors from journalism schools including Boston University, the University of Missouri, and Columbia; and was inducted into the TV Hall of Fame.

Away from the anchor's chair, Brokaw investigated and hosted a lauded series of documentaries addressing both sweeping and specific issues from education and Affirmative Action to the victims of Sudanese warfare and the buildup to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also penned four best-selling books, including his homage to the "Greatest Generation" that fought World War II, and wrote articles and essays for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, and National Geographic .

In 1997, NBC established a scholarship in Brokaw's name benefiting children of the network's employees who pursue higher education.

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