Biography
BORN
William (Billy) F. Graham; November 7, 1918; Charlotte, North Carolina
PARENTS
William Franklin (deceased 1962) and Morrow Coffey Graham (deceased 1981)
MARRIED
Ruth McCue Bell, 1943 (deceased 2007)
EDUCATION
1940: Graduated, Florida Bible Institute (now Trinity College)
1943: B.A., Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois
VOCATION
1939: Ordained to the ministry by a church in the Southern Baptist Convention
1943-45: Pastor, First Baptist Church, Western Springs, Illinois
1945-50: Charter Vice President, Youth for Christ International, Chicago, Illinois
1947-52: President, Northwestern Schools, consisting of three institutions: a liberal arts college, Bible school and theological seminary
1950 -- : Founded Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota
1950 -- : Began weekly "Hour of Decision" radio program which is heard on more than 700 stations around the world
PUBLISHED
1947: "Calling Youth to Christ"
1951: “America’s Hour of Decision”
1952: Author of syndicated newspaper column "My Answer" carried by newspapers across the country with a combined circulation of 5,000,000 readers
1953: "I Saw Your Sons at War"
1953: "Peace With God" -- over 2 million copiessold in 38 languages, revised and expanded in 1984
1955: "Freedom from the Seven Deadly Sins"
1955: "The Secret of Happiness"
1958: "Billy Graham Talks to Teenagers"
1960: "My Answer"
1960: "Billy Graham Answers Your Questions"
1965: "World Aflame" -- The New York Times and Time magazine Best-Seller Lists for several weeks
1969: "The Challenge"
1971: "The Jesus Generation"
1975: "Angels: God\'s Secret Agents" -- Publishers Weekly & New York Times Best-Seller Lists (21 weeks each); Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Platinum Book Award
1976: "Day by Day"
1977: "How to Be Born Again"
1978: "The Holy Spirit" -- ECPA Gold Book Award
1981: "Till Armageddon" -- ECPA Platinum Book Award
1983: "Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" -- The New York Times Best-Seller List; ECPA Gold Book Award
1984: "A Biblical Standard for Evangelists"
1986: "Unto the Hills"
1987: "Facing Death and the Life After" -- Christian Booksellers Association Best-Seller List (21 weeks)
1988: "Answers to Life\'s Problems"
1991: "Hope for the Troubled Heart"
1992: "Storm Warning"
1997: "Just As I Am"
2002: "Hope for Each Day"
2005: “Living in God’s Love: The New York Crusade”
2006: “The Journey”
AWARDS AND HONORS
(The following is a partial list of the numerous awards received by Mr. Graham):
•"Ten Most Admired Men in the World" from the Gallup Poll since 1955 a total of 48 times, including 41 consecutive -- more than any other individual in the world, placing him at the head of the overall list of those most admired by Americans for the past four decades
•Clergyman of the Year from the National Pilgrim Society
•Distinguished Service Medal of the Salvation Army
•Who\'s Who in America annually since 1954
•Freedoms Foundation Distinguished Persons Award (numerous years)
•Gold Medal Award, National Institute of Social Science, New York, 1957
•Annual Gutenberg Award of the Chicago Bible Society, 1962
•Gold Award of the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute, 1964, for contribution to race relations, presented by Senator Javits (NY)
•Speaker of the Year Award, 1964
•Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement, 1965
•Horatio Alger Award, 1965
•National Citizenship Award by the Military Chaplains Association of the U.S.A., 1965
•Wisdom Award of Honor, 1965
•Big Brother of the Year Award, at the White House, Washington, D.C.,1966, for contribution to the welfare of children
•The Torch of Liberty Plaque by the Anti-Defamation League of B\'nai B\'rith, 1969
•George Washington Honor Medal from Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, for his sermon "The Violent Society," 1969
•Honored by Morality in Media for "fostering the principles of truth, taste, inspiration and love in media," 1969
•International Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, 1971
•Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Broadcasters, 1972
•Franciscan International Award, 1972
•Sylvanus Thayer Award from United States Military Academy Association of Graduates at West Point (The most prestigious award the United States Military Academy gives to a U.S. citizen), 1972
•George Washington Medal Award for Patriotism from Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, 1974
•Direct Selling Association\'s Salesman of the Decade award, 1975
•Philip Award from the Association of United Methodist Evangelists, 1976
•First National Interreligious Award, American Jewish Committee, 1977
•Distinguished Communications Medal, Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission, 1977
•Jabotinsky Centennial Medal presented by The Jabotinsky Foundation, 1980
•Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame award, 1981
•Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion award, 1982
•Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation\'s highest civilian award,1983
•National Religious Broadcasters Award of Merit, 1986
•North Carolina Award in Public Service, 1986
•Good Housekeeping Most Admired Men Poll, 1997, #1 for five years in a row and 16th time in top 10
•Congressional Gold Medal, highest honor Congress can bestow on a private citizen, 1996
•Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association --the first non-musician to be inducted, 1999
•Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award, for monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom, 2000
•Honorary Knight Commander of the order of the British Empire (KBE) for his international contribution to civic and religious life over 60 years, 2001
•Many honorary degrees
CHILDREN
Virginia, 1945
Anne Morrow, 1948
Ruth Bell, 1950
William Franklin, III, 1952
Nelson Edman, 1958
19 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren
RESIDENCE
In the mountains of western North Carolina
