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BIOGRAPHY:

WILLIAM (BILLY) F. GRAHAM — Evangelist and Chairman of the Board

BORN November 7, 1918
Charlotte, North Carolina
 
PARENTS William Franklin (deceased 1962) and
Morrow Coffey Graham (deceased 1981)
 
MARRIED Ruth McCue Bell, 1943
 
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 has been broadcast around the world
                    on Sundays for over 50 years
 
PUBLISHED 1947           “Calling Youth to Christ”
1952           Author of syndicated newspaper column “My Answer” carried by newspapers both
                    nationally and internationally
1953           “I Saw Your Sons at War”
1953           “Peace With God”—over two million copies sold 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
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”
                    –Reprinted as paperback in 2006 under the title “The Last Crusade”
2006           “The Journey: How to Live by Faith in an Uncertain World”
 
AWARDS
& 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 50 times, including 43 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 five decades
•  Clergyman-Churchman of the Year by the Washington Pilgrimage, 1956
•  Distinguished Service Medal of The Salvation Army
•  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,
    for contribution to race relations, presented by Senator Javits (NY), 1964
•  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.,
    for contribution to the welfare of children, 1966
•  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
•  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, 1985
•  North Carolina Award in Public Service, 1986
•  Congressional Gold Medal, highest honor Congress can bestow on a private citizen, 1996
•  Good Housekeeping Most Admired Men Poll, #1 for five years in a row and 16th time in top 10, 1997
•  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 North Carolina
 

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