In 1973 he became White House correspondent for the network, and from 1976 to 1983 he hosted the "Today" show.

He has anchored NBC's nightly news telecast since 1983.

His contract expires this year and there has been speculation that the 56-year-old anchor might decide to give up the daily grind of network news.

Brokaw owns a radio station in South Dakota and a large ranch in Montana. In both states, Democrats have reportedly urged him to run for the U.S. Senate

And President Clinton reportedly once asked him to head the National Park Service.

But NBC and Microsoft recently announced the creation of a new cable TV network, MSNBC, and Brokaw has agreed to host a weekly one-hour live interview and call-in show on the new channel when it starts in July.

Brokaw's assistant said yesterday that Brokaw was on assignment in Los Angeles and could not be reached for comment.

In addition to the speech by Brokaw, the Class Day festivities will include the Harvard Oration, the Radcliffe Oration and the humorous Ivy Oration.

According to Cahn, each of the orations is selected competitively from many entries submitted by graduating seniors. The winners will be announced soon.

The Ames Award for public service will also be presented to one male and one female senior at the Class Day ceremony.

And the Class Ode--a humorous revision of "Ten Thousand Men of Harvard"--will be performed for the first time