Yankton City Councillor David Hosmer says he was sitting in Gipper's, a local restaurant and bar, when he noticed that pictures of Yankton High School football players graced the walls of the building.
Conspicuously absent, however, was any tribute to the "Nightly News" anchor.
"We've never done a thing for Tom," says Hosmer, 30. "No signs, nothing. There's a lot of people here who knew him, and lots more who like him."
And so the Yankton City Council voted 6-2 on May 14 to designate the town's major artery, U.S. Highway 81, as the honorary "Tom Brokaw Boulevard."
Brokaw has agreed to attend a ceremony this August, when the street will officially be renamed in his honor, Hosmer says.
Brokaw says he was "flattered" by the award, which will immortalize his name in the town where he met his wife and buried his father.
"I've always had attachments to [Yankton]," he says.
But, he says with tongue in cheek, "I did suggest there was a speed bump in front of a beer joint that might have been more appropriate."
Midwesterner in Harvard Yard
This summer will be a busy one for Brokaw.
As in years past, he will make two commencement addresses, this year at the University of Pennsylvania and at Connecticut College.
He recently signed a contract to author a book about life in America, from her forgotten towns to her bustling cities and all in between.
He says he plans to anchor the "Nightly News" on location from Atlanta, the site of the 1996 Olympic Games. And he is covering his eighth straight presidential campaign, from the primary to the conventions to the November 5 election.
But this afternoon, Brokaw will stop at Harvard to reflect upon the past and look into the future with the Class of 1996.
He has some stories, some advice and some words of inspiration.
"The competition [in the workplace] is much keener today then ever before," Brokaw says. "But at the same time, there are more opportunities."
"That Harvard degree still carries a lot of weight across the country," he says. "It's an honor and an achievement, and I wish you well."
Brokaw should know. He's seen it all.
--Alison D. Overholt contributed to the reporting of this story.