Thune among guests at Neuharth memorial on Friday
Tom Brokaw, Sen. John Thune to pay tribute to Al Neuharth at memorial service Friday
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) -- NBC'S Tom Brokaw, U.S. Sen. John Thune and University of South Dakota President James Abbott will be among colleagues and friends paying tribute to USA Today founder Al Neuharth during a memorial service Friday.
Neuharth died at his Cocoa Beach, Fla., home on April 19. He was 89.
Neuharth was a 1950 USD graduate and frequently returned to his home state. He had directed that his final celebration take place at USD. The Friday service will be at the University of South Dakota at 10 a.m.
Brokaw, also a South Dakota native, will pay tribute via a recorded video message.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed Friday "Al Neuharth Day" in the state.
"Al Neuharth was a great South Dakotan who revolutionized the media industry," Daugaard said in a statement Tuesday. "Even as he became one of the nation's top media figures, he never forgot his roots."
Flags will fly at half-staff at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre and on the USD campus Saturday in remembrance of Neuharth.
A live webcast of the memorial celebration will be streamed by South Dakota Public Broadcasting at http://www.sdpb.org/live .
