2002 Public Service Award

Tom Brokaw Honored At The Eisenhower Distinguished
Public Service Award Dinner 2002

Washington, DC. On Monday night, November 18, The Eisenhower Institute held its annual Distinguished Public Service Award dinner, this year honoring journalist Tom Brokaw of NBC News. The popular black-tie gala took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, and was attended by 450 friends and supporters of the Institute.

Bob Wright, Chairman and CEO of NBC, chaired the dinner, while Marvin Kalb, veteran journalist and Executive Director of the Shorenstein Center at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, served as master of ceremonies.

The award recognized Mr. Brokaw's outstanding 36-year career in journalism and his efforts to call attention to the contributions of the World War II generation in war and peace. The sixteen current members of Congress who served in WWII acted as honorary co-chairs of the dinner.

Former Washington Post Executive Editor, Ben Bradlee and his wife, Sally Quinn with Susan Eisenhower

Among the guests for the evening were past Eisenhower Institute Leadership Prize winners, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, as well as President Eisenhower's son, John S. D. Eisenhower, Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, Ambassador Paul Nitze, and members of the media such as Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn, Helen Thomas, Elizabeth Drew, Arnaud de Borchgrave, Andrea Mitchell and John McLaughlin. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) each stopped by during the pre-dinner reception.

(left to right): Tom Brokaw,Members of 101st Airborne's Easy Company, Edward "Babe" Heffron, Bill Guarnere and Forrest Guth.

Marvin Kalb recognized the many guests who served in WWII, with a special tribute to the veterans representing the 4th Infantry Division, the 10th Mountain Division and the 101st Airborne Division. The 101st Airborne veterans included members of Easy Company, whose experiences during the invasion of Europe were made famous in the Emmy Award winning HBO production "Band of Brothers".

Tom Brokaw accepting The Distinguished Public Service Award from Anne Eisenhower Flottl

Following a brief introduction by Mr. Wright, Anne Eisenhower Flottl presented Mr. Brokaw with the award. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Brokaw recounted his longtime admiration for Dwight D. Eisenhower. "Eisenhower was a godfather figure to me in the best sense of the word," he said, a presence throughout his childhood in South Dakota. The General embodied the American spirit and set the standards for citizenship, public service -- and persistence.

Brokaw reflected on how privileged he has felt to have gotten to know the WWII veterans as he interviewed them for his books. "I'm now forever linked to the Greatest Generation," he remarked." Perhaps too much for some tastes, he joked: "Recently [Senate Majority Leader] Tom Daschle reported at another dinner that I was already working on several more books: 'The Greatest Generation Speaks Some More,' 'The Greatest Generation Cooks,' 'The Greatest Generation: Stop Following us Around,' and 'The Greatest Generation Files a Restraining Order.'"

Filling out the rare evening, Broadway star, Carol Woods entertained guests with several classics from the 1940s, including "As Time Goes By".

Eisenhower Institute President, Susan Eisenhower flanked by the evening's master of ceremonies, Marvin Kalb and dinner chair, and NBC CEO, Bob Wright

Senator Richard Lugar (R. IN) and former National Security Adviser, General Brent Scowcroft

PHOTO GALLERY

PAST AWARD DINNERS