Birth Name: Thomas John Brokaw
Place of Birth: Webster, South Dakota, U.S.
Date of Birth: February 6, 1940
Ethnicity: German, English, Irish, Swiss, Dutch, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), 1/256th French Huguenot, remote Welsh
Tom Brokaw is an American television journalist and author. He was the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004.
Tom is the son of Eugenia “Jean” (Conley) and Anthony Orville “Red” Brokaw.
Tom’s paternal grandfather was William Loren Brokaw (the son of Richard Patterson Brokaw and Anna M./E. Hyde). Richard was the son of Joseph Brokaw and Sarah Patterson. Anna was the daughter of Elias Hyde and Sarah Bethiah/Berthia Woodward.
According to Tom’s official website, he has French Huguenot ancestry through his “Brokaw” line, originally “Broucard”. His ancestor, John Broucard, was born, c. 1680, in New York, to Bourgon Broucard and Catherine Lefevre, who were French Huguenots. John’s wife, Sarah Teunis (van Middleswart), was born in New Jersey, to Dutch parents.
Tom’s paternal grandmother was Elisabeth/Elizabeth Meuer. Her father was born “at sea”, likely of German descent, and her mother was German.
Tom’s maternal grandfather was James Henry Conley (the son of Thomas Conley and Matilda Moser). Thomas was born in Wisconsin, to Irish parents. Matilda was born in Minnesota, to Swiss parents, Henry Moser and Anna.
Tom’s maternal grandmother was Lalla Ethel Baker (the daughter of Eugene Baker and Addie Bradford Sperry). Eugene was the son of Nathan M. Baker and Elmina. Addie was the daughter of Charles B. Sperry and Mary E.
Sources: Genealogies of Tom Brokaw – https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Tom’s father – http://www.ancestry.com
Tom’s father on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Tom’s maternal grandfather, James Henry Conley, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
http://www.signature-reads.com
http://tombrokaw.com (official website)
Photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com