"It offered a chance to see a wider world," Brokaw says. "It combined all my interests in public policy, travel and advancement, an unconventional lifestyle and the opportunity to be in the middle of the events that shaped our time."

"And it paid well, too," he adds.

While at USD, Brokaw began dating Meridith Auld, a high school classmate who was the cheerleading captain and was selected Miss South Dakota in 1959.

Brokaw and Auld were married after graduation in 1962. They have three daughters: Jennifer, 30; Andrea, 28; and Sarah, 26.

Raising Small Children

During the tumultuous 1960s, Brokaw covered California politics and the civil rights movement for NBC's Los Angeles television affiliate. He was frequently bounced from one time zone to the next.

By the 1970s, he was covering the White House at the height of the Watergate scandal, reporting on the quadrennial presidential elections and anchoring the morning "Today Show" from 1976-81. In 1983, he became anchor of the "Nightly News" show.

Last month, Brokaw celebrated his 30th anniversary with NBC.

Brokaw says he found that balancing his career ambitions with the rigors of parenting was a tricky task. Yet he says he always tried to blend his personal and professional life.

He remembers bringing his daughters to the NBC studios when he was interviewing "Star Wars" superstars Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford.

"They couldn't get up for the 8 a.m. school bus, but they could get [to NBC] in time for that," he says.

Day in the Life

A hectic day is the norm for the NBC news anchor, as roughly 12 hours are invested in producing the 22-minute segments which millions of Americans watch each night.

With characteristic modesty, Brokaw describes his work as "not too tough."

"I show up, put on makeup and read out loud," he jokes.

In reality, Brokaw's workday begins when he crawls out of bed between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. From his home in New York, he logs onto the NBC computer system, which provides him instant access to wire reports and news dispatches from around the world.