Billy Graham

NAME William Franklin “Billy” Graham Jr.

WHAT FAMOUS FOR An American evangelist who became one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century, known for his worldwide crusades, close ties with U.S. presidents, and global impact on evangelical Christianity.

BIRTH Billy Graham was born on November 7, 1918, just four days before the Armistice ended World War I and exactly one year after the Communist Revolution in Russia. He was born in a frame farmhouse near Charlotte, North Carolina.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Graham was the eldest of four children born to William Franklin Graham Sr., a successful dairy farmer, and Morrow Coffey Graham. His father owned a 300-acre dairy farm where the family worked together. Graham's parents were devout Christians who instilled strong religious values in their children. His mother, Morrow, played a particularly influential role in his spiritual development, teaching him Scripture verses from as early as age four and conducting daily family devotions. 

The family maintained strict discipline, with both parents believing in corporal punishment when necessary. 

Graham's maternal grandparents, Dr. L. Nelson Bell and Virginia Leftwich Bell, were medical missionaries in China, which would later influence his global perspective on ministry.

CHILDHOOD Growing up during the Great Depression, Graham learned the value of hard work on the family dairy farm, but he also found time to become an avid reader, spending many hours in the hayloft reading books on various subjects. 

As a child, he was hyperactive, mischievous, and possessed what one physician described as being "built differently" due to his hyperkinetic energy. He teased his siblings, was easily distracted during church services (often shooting spitballs at women's hats), and got into scrapes with schoolmates. (1)

Despite being raised in a devout Christian household, Graham did not make a personal commitment to Christ until just before his 16th birthday. 

His childhood interests included baseball, and he idolized Babe Ruth.

EDUCATION After graduating from Sharon High School in 1936, Graham briefly attended Bob Jones College (now Bob Jones University) in Cleveland, Tennessee, for one semester but left due to the institution's extreme fundamentalism. He then transferred to Florida Bible Institute (now Trinity College of Florida) near Tampa, where he graduated in 1940 with a bachelor's degree in theology. During his time at Florida Bible Institute, Graham was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister in 1939. 

He continued his education at Wheaton College in Illinois, where he arrived in 1940 as a 21-year-old ordained minister but had to start as a second-semester freshman since most of his Florida Bible Institute credits were not accepted. At Wheaton, he studied anthropology and graduated in 1943 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. It was at Wheaton that he met his future wife, Ruth McCue Bell.

While in college, Graham practiced preaching alone on a river island, delivering sermons to birds, alligators, and cypress stumps. (2)

CAREER RECORD Worked as a Fuller Brush salesman after high school, becoming the top seller in North Carolina.

1937 First preached rushing through four memorized sermons in eight nervous minutes.

1943 Briefly served as pastor of The Village Church of Western Springs (now Western Springs Baptist Church) in Illinois

1945 Became the first full-time evangelist for Youth for Christ.

1947-1952, He served as president of Northwestern Schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 

1947 Led his first citywide crusade in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1947).

1949 Rose to national fame with his Los Angeles Crusade, where circus tents overflowed with crowds for weeks.

Throughout his career, Graham conducted 417 crusades in over 185 countries, with his largest audience being 1.1 million people in Seoul, South Korea, in 1973. 

2005 He retired from active crusading after his final New York Crusade.

APPEARANCE Billy Graham possessed the physical presence of a movie star, standing 6 feet 3 inches tall with a trim build of about 160 pounds in his youth. He had chiseled features, piercing blue eyes, and maintained his striking appearance throughout much of his ministry. His appearance was often noted by observers as contributing to his effectiveness as an evangelist, with his tall, lean frame and penetrating gaze adding authority to his message.

During his early ministry years, he was described as having a vigorous handshake and commanding physical presence that complemented his dynamic preaching style. 

Graham in 1966

FASHION Graham's clothing choices were deliberately understated, avoiding flashy or attention-grabbing attire that might detract from his spiritual message. He was almost always seen in a dark, well-tailored business suit, a crisp white shirt, and a conservative tie. This classic, understated style became a hallmark of his public persona. 

CHARACTER Billy Graham was widely admired for his humility, integrity, and authenticity. Though he achieved global fame, he kept the outlook of “just a farm boy from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.” He often reminded himself of the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem—believing the applause was for the message, not the messenger.  (3)

Graham's reputation for moral integrity set him apart from televangelists whose careers collapsed in scandal. In 1948, he and his team drafted the “Modesto Manifesto,” a code of conduct that emphasized financial transparency, cooperation with local churches, and strict personal boundaries—including never being alone with a woman other than his wife. 

Reporters in London described him as having a “dynamic sincerity,” and C.S. Lewis remarked that while Graham had many critics, none who knew him personally ever questioned his character.

SPEAKING VOICE Graham’s distinctive, commanding voice became a hallmark of his ministry. His preaching was marked by clarity and directness—delivering the Gospel without condescension—and energized by his trademark phrase, “The Bible says…”. 

Early in his career, his rapid speech and North Carolina accent made him self-conscious, but over time they became part of his recognizable style. 

His voice carried conviction and urgency, enabling him to connect with audiences across every educational and social background. Observers often said he communicated rather than simply preached.

 During the invitation portions of his crusades, Graham described sensing a unique presence and power of God—an experience so intense it left him physically drained.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Billy Graham maintained a gentle sense of humor throughout his life and ministry. He often used self-deprecating humor, famously joking about his golf game by saying, "The only time my prayers are not answered are on the golf course" and "God seems to answer my prayers everywhere except on the golf course!". 

Graham used humor strategically in his preaching, though he noted that in serious evangelistic settings, particularly when ministering to troops on the front lines, he would "dive right into the Gospel" without using humor to break the ice. (4)

RELATIONSHIPS Graham's most significant relationship was with his wife, Ruth McCue Bell, whom he married on August 13, 1943, shortly after their graduation from Wheaton College. Their ceremony took place at Montreat Presbyterian Church (also referred to as Gaither Chapel) in Montreat, North Carolina at 8:30 in the evening with a full moon in the sky. The wedding was officiated by Dr. John Minder, Graham's mentor from Florida Bible Institute, Ruth was the daughter of medical missionaries to China and remained a devoted partner throughout their 64-year marriage until her death in 2007. 

Ruth and Billy Graham

The couple had five children: Virginia "Gigi" (1945), Anne (1948), Ruth (1950), Franklin (1952), and Nelson Edman "Ned" (1958). Due to Graham's extensive travel for crusades, Ruth primarily managed the household and raised their children, often single-handedly, while living near her parents in Montreat, North Carolina. 

Graham maintained close relationships with his core ministry team, including Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea, Tedd Smith, and Grady Wilson, who stayed with him for over 40 years. 

He also developed significant friendships with world leaders and celebrities, always using these relationships as opportunities to share his faith.  He was also a spiritual confidant to every U.S. president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. His close friendships with presidents like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon were particularly well-documented.

Despite his fame, Graham prioritized his family relationships and often expressed gratitude for Ruth's sacrifice in allowing him to travel extensively for ministry.

MONEY AND FAME Graham maintained strict financial integrity throughout his ministry, establishing rules early in his career to avoid the financial scandals that destroyed other evangelists. He incorporated the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as a non-profit organization in 1950 and insisted on outside auditors and transparent financial practices. His organization was known for its financial transparency and responsible stewardship of donations.

 Despite the massive income generated by his crusades and media presence, Graham claimed to receive only the salary of an ordinary minister throughout his career. He once said, "If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life".  His organization was known for its financial transparency and responsible stewardship of donations.

Graham earned respect across denominations, and even outside the church, receiving honors such as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an honorary knighthood in 2001.

FOOD AND DRINK  Graham was known to enjoy simple, home-cooked Southern meals.

In 1933, Graham’s father forced him and his sister Catherine to drink beer until they vomited. The harsh lesson worked—they both disliked alcohol for the rest of their lives. (2)

MUSIC AND ARTS Graham regularly featured gospel musicians in his crusades, including his longtime associate George Beverly Shea, whom he recruited in 1944 and who remained with his ministry for decades. Other notable musicians who performed at Graham's crusades included the Gaither Vocal Band, Michael W. Smith, and Linda McCrary-Fisher. Graham was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999 in recognition of his contributions to Christian music. 

Surprisingly, Graham showed genuine curiosity about contemporary culture, even attending a music festival featuring the Grateful Dead, Canned Heat, and Santana in the late 1960s to understand youth culture. He went "undercover" at the festival, listening to conversations and trying to understand what young people were searching for spiritually, demonstrating his openness to engaging with diverse musical expressions. (1)

LITERATURE Graham's reading habits were established early in childhood when he spent hours in the family farm's hayloft reading books on various subjects. Throughout his life, he remained an avid reader, which contributed to his broad knowledge and ability to connect with people from different backgrounds. 

Graham was a prolific author, writing numerous books throughout his ministry. His literary works included devotional books, theological writings, and autobiographical accounts of his ministry experiences. Notable titles include Peace with God (1953), Angels: God's Secret Agents (1975), and his autobiography, Just As I Am (1997). His final book, Nearing Home, was published in 2011, reflecting on aging and approaching death with Christian hope. He also founded Christianity Today magazine in 1956.

NATURE Growing up on a 300-acre dairy farm in North Carolina, Graham developed a deep connection with nature that remained with him throughout his life. His childhood home in Montreat was surrounded by mountains, streams, and forests, providing a natural setting that he found conducive to prayer and reflection. The Graham family property included walking trails, streams with wooden bridges, and mature trees that offered peaceful settings for contemplation. 

Graham often spoke of finding God in nature and used natural illustrations in his preaching. His choice to make Montreat his permanent home reflected his appreciation for the natural beauty of the North Carolina mountains.

PETS He and his family had pets while living on their farm and later at their mountain retreat/ In 2008, he was hospitalized after tripping and falling over one of his dogs.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Graham's primary recreational passion was golf, which he used both for relaxation and as a tool for building relationships with influential people, including several U.S. presidents such as Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. During his time at Florida Bible Institute, he worked as a caddy at the school's golf course, which gave him access to renowned Christian scholars and administrators. Despite his love for the game.

In his youth, Graham had dreams of playing Major League Baseball and was a decent player, batting left-handed with a fair throwing arm, though he showed no signs of superstar potential. He played baseball throughout high school, mostly as a weak-hitting first baseman, and even played in a handful of semi-professional games after high school. His meeting with Babe Ruth as a youth left such an impression that he refused to wash his hands for three days afterward.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Graham embraced technological innovations for evangelistic purposes, pioneering the use of mass media for religious broadcasting. His organization's growth from a small team to one with 80 full-time staff members by 1954 demonstrated his ability to understand and implement systematic organizational principles.

MINISTRY Billy Graham’s ministry lasted for more than six decades, and during that time he more or less redefined what evangelism looked like in the modern world. It’s easy to get lost in the scale of it all—stadiums full of people, television satellites beaming his words into every corner of the globe, choirs big enough to make you wonder whether anyone was left in the congregation to listen. But at the heart of it, Graham never stopped seeing himself as a nervous farm boy from North Carolina who once rattled through four sermons in eight minutes because he didn’t know what else to do.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, founded in 1950, was meant to be a tidy little structure to keep the books straight for a radio programme. Graham didn’t even want his name on it, but his business manager insisted—apparently, people might not trust “The Evangelistic Association of George from Accounts.” The purpose statement was refreshingly unpretentious: “To spread and propagate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by any and all means.” Which, to be fair, is exactly what they did.

The crusades (later renamed “missions” when the word “crusade” started to sound a bit dodgy) were at once simple and spectacular. Rent a stadium, pack it with thousands, preach a plain Gospel sermon, and invite people forward while the choir sang "Just As I Am." Critics accused the hymn of emotional manipulation, so Graham tried preaching without it for thirty nights in London in 1966. The people still came forward in silence. He took that as proof that it was the Holy Spirit at work rather than Charlotte Elliott’s hymn—though the tune probably didn’t hurt.

Media, too, seemed to bend to his service. His radio show, Hour of Decision, began after he half-joked that he’d only start one if $25,000 came in by midnight. It did—almost to the penny—and off he went. From there, Graham embraced television long before most preachers dared, even managing to preach in colour in Australia in 1959. By 1995, he was preaching in Puerto Rico to audiences in 185 countries at once, translated into 116 languages, which must have given even the angels a headache.

His preaching style was as direct as his farm-boy manner. “The Bible says…” became his signature phrase, and people listened. He spoke fast, with an accent he was once embarrassed about, but it worked. Theologians noted his solid grounding in biblical authority, but most people just heard a man who spoke as if the news were too urgent to dress up in fancy language.

And there were the smaller, quieter stories too: the young Graham paddling a canoe to a river island so he could practice preaching to birds and alligators, or deciding, at Forest Home Christian camp in California, that the Bible was the perfect Word of God. There was his act of pulling down the ropes dividing black and white audiences at a 1952 revival in Mississippi, and his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., which grew from there. There was the moment in 1955 when a reporter asked him why God had chosen him, and Graham—utterly without pretence—said, “That’s the first question I’m going to ask Him in Heaven.”

Of course, he wasn’t above humour. In 1969, when a student asked him to pray for “good friends and good weed,” Graham replied, “You can also get high on Jesus.” He probably said it with a smile, but the lad never forgot it.

By the end, Graham had preached to more than 210 million people across 185 countries. His last North American crusade was in New York in 2005, frail in body but still insistent on proclaiming Christ. Looking back, the astonishing thing isn’t really the size of the enterprise, but the way Graham seemed to carry it all with a kind of unassuming steadiness. As he liked to remind himself, he was only the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem—the applause was never for him, but for the one he pointed to.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY  Billy Graham was converted during a revival meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by evangelist Mordecai Ham. Graham was 16 years old (just six days before his 16th birthday on November 7) when he made his decision for Christ on November 1, 1934. On the final verse of the hymn "Almost Persuaded, Now to Believe" (after four verses of "Just As I Am"), Graham walked forward to the front, "feeling as if I had lead weights attached to my feet". He filled out a card marking "Recommitment," though he later described this as his real commitment to Jesus Christ. (5)

Graham had initially been antagonistic toward Ham's meetings, calling them a "religious circus" and saying he didn't want anything to do with the evangelist. He was persuaded to attend by Albert McMakin, a farm employee

Graham's theological foundation was firmly rooted in biblical authority, with his characteristic phrase "The Bible says..." becoming his trademark. He preached a simple but profound message centered on human sinfulness, God's love, and salvation through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. Graham emphasized the substitutionary atonement of Christ and preached it "in its Reformation dimensions as propitiating the wrath of the holy Lord". 

His theology included belief in total depravity, though he maintained that this didn't mean humans were without any good qualities.  He believed strongly in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, making biblical revelation central to his message rather than alternative forms of divine revelation. 

His evangelistic methodology required certain theological elements in every sermon: the cross and resurrection, God's love, the reality of sin, conviction of sin and righteousness, and the human response of repentance and faith.

POLITICS Billy Graham’s political identity was complicated and shifted over time. Though originally a Democrat, like many Southerners of his generation, he began leaning Republican after forging a close friendship with Richard Nixon in the 1940s. He openly supported Nixon in 1960 and again in 1968, marking his break with the Democratic Party. Despite these ties, Graham insisted that Jesus had no political party and never formally joined one himself. 

Over the decades, he built personal relationships with presidents from both sides of the aisle, serving as an unofficial spiritual counselor to 13 U.S. presidents from Harry Truman to Donald Trump. 

President Barack Obama and Graham meet at Graham's home in April 2010

The release of Nixon White House tapes in 2002, which captured him making remarks with anti-Semitic overtones, deeply troubled Graham; he later apologized and said he could not remember saying such things. In the years that followed, Graham deliberately stepped back from politics, distancing himself from the religious right his son Franklin embraced. 

Graham opposed abortion and same-sex marriage but also advocated for global nuclear disarmament.

SCANDAL Graham maintained a remarkably scandal-free public life throughout his six-decade ministry, in stark contrast to many other televangelists of his era. The most significant controversy involved his appearance in secretly recorded Nixon White House tapes released in 2002, which revealed conversations with anti-Semitic undertones. When confronted with these recordings, Graham stated he could not recall making such statements but issued a public apology. 

His relationship with Richard Nixon also drew criticism, particularly his support for the Vietnam War and his political endorsements. 

Graham faced criticism during the civil rights era for his cautious approach to racial issues, with some scholars arguing he failed to take a strong enough stand against segregation, though he did integrate his crusades and invite Martin Luther King Jr. to preach with him. 

Despite these controversies, Graham's personal integrity remained largely intact, and he avoided the financial and sexual scandals that destroyed other prominent religious figures of his time.

MILITARY RECORD Graham had no formal military service record, though he intended to serve as an Army chaplain during World War II. After marrying Ruth in 1943, he planned to become an Army chaplain but fell seriously ill with mumps in 1944, and by the time he recovered, the war was nearly over and the opportunity had passed. 

Despite not serving in the military, Graham maintained a lifelong dedication to ministering to armed forces personnel. He made significant visits to troops during the Korean War in 1952, traveling to front-line positions and field hospitals to preach and pray with soldiers. 

Graham made two notable Christmas visits to Vietnam troops in 1966 and 1968, visiting aircraft carriers, air bases, hospitals, and jungle outposts, always stating his purpose was purely spiritual rather than political. 

He preached at military academies including West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy, and in 1960 conducted a service for 7,000 military personnel and civilian workers in the Pentagon's inner courtyard. 

Graham received the Sylvanus Thayer Medal from West Point in 1972, the academy's highest honor for non-graduates, recognizing his embodiment of "Duty, Honor, Country".

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Graham maintained good health through much of his ministry but experienced increasing health problems in his later years. In 2000, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and also developed a hydrocephalus-like condition causing excess fluid on his brain. He had a shunt installed in 2000 to drain the excess fluid, which was updated in 2008 during a 28-minute surgical procedure. 

Graham suffered from prostate cancer and experienced intestinal bleeding in 2007 that required a two-week hospitalization. 

He also developed macular degeneration and hearing loss that largely confined him to his home in his final years. In 2011, at age 93, he was hospitalized for pneumonia. 

Despite these ailments, Graham lived to the remarkable age of 99. His longevity was attributed partly to his active lifestyle in earlier years and his positive outlook rooted in his faith.

HOMES Graham's primary residence for most of his adult life was in Montreat, North Carolina, a small mountain community about 30 minutes from Asheville. He and Ruth initially lived with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Bell, before purchasing their first independent home at 198 Mississippi Road in Montreat in the late 1940s. Built around 1900, the 2,564-square-foot house featured four bedrooms and two bathrooms, honey-colored shiplap siding, and sat on a third of an acre shaded by mature trees. The property included stone patios, winding trails, and streams crossed by wooden bridges. It was here that the Grahams raised their children during Billy’s most pivotal ministry years, including his landmark Los Angeles Crusades and his first tour of England.

The family moved from this house in 1957 but continued to use it for office space (housing Christianity Today publication offices) and later as a vacation rental. This property was sold in 2021 for $750K and is now operated as "Billy's Home Place," a retreat center for pastors. 

In 1957, the Grahams moved to a larger property higher up on the mountainside in Montreat for more privacy, as tourists had been found "peering through his windows" at their first Montreat home. This became Billy Graham's primary residence for the remainder of his life. 

TRAVEL Graham's first international trip was in 1946 when he joined a Youth for Christ team on a 46-day tour to Britain and Europe. By the mid-1950s, Graham had traveled throughout Europe and Asia, with his international outreach shaping his domestic crusades. His 1954 London Crusade brought him international recognition, followed by crusades across Europe, including Germany, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands, and France. 

Graham conducted crusades in over 185 countries and territories, reaching audiences from Seoul, South Korea (where he addressed 1.1 million people) to small villages around the world. His travels included multiple visits to Communist countries, including groundbreaking trips to the Soviet Union. 

Graham's 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand was particularly significant, with more than 3 million people attending his events—nearly a third of Australia's population at the time. 

His international ministry was supported by sophisticated logistics, with his team coordinating massive crusades requiring careful planning of venues, transportation, and local church cooperation.

DEATH Billy Graham died peacefully in his sleep at his Montreat, North Carolina home on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99. His death marked the end of an era in American evangelicalism, with tributes pouring in from around the world. Graham became only the fourth private citizen in U.S. history to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where President Trump and numerous officials paid their respects. 

His funeral on March 2, 2018, was held under a large white tent at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, evoking the "Canvas Cathedral" of his 1949 Los Angeles Crusade that launched his career. The service was attended by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and about 2,000 other mourners, with internet livestreams allowing millions more to watch. His simple pine casket was made by inmates at Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana, reflecting his desire for simplicity even in death. 

Graham was buried next to his wife Ruth in a memorial prayer garden at the Billy Graham Library.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Graham appeared in numerous films, television programs, and other media throughout his career. His production company, World Wide Pictures, founded in 1951, produced many Christian films including Mr. Texas (1951), The Restless Ones (1965), The Hiding Place (1975), and The Prodigal (1983). 

Graham himself appeared in at least 16 films as an actor, often playing himself, and served as writer and producer for several projects. He made guest appearances on television shows including Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1969. 

Graham was the subject of numerous biographical documentaries and appeared in archive footage for many other productions.

His crusades were regularly broadcast on television and radio, with his Hour of Decision radio program running for decades. 

In addition to his media appearances, Graham wrote or contributed to multiple books and was featured in countless magazine articles and news reports throughout his ministry.

ACHIEVEMENTS Preached to more than 215 million people.

Founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Created Christianity Today magazine.

Earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (the 1,000th star).

Received an honorary knighthood (KBE) in 2001.

Inspired generations of evangelists and reshaped global evangelical Christianity.

Sources: (1) Harvest (2) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (3) Jimbuchan.com (4) Decision magazine (5) Billy Graham Library