115 SJ 53 : Honoring the life of William “Billy” F. Graham, Jr.
U.S. Senate
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Whereas William Billy
F. Graham, Jr., was born on November 7, 1918, in Charlotte, North Carolina; Whereas, in 1939, Reverend Graham was ordained by Peniel Baptist Church in Florida;
Whereas Reverend Graham studied at Florida Bible Institute and graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, in 1943; Whereas Reverend Graham married his wife of nearly 64 years, Ruth McCue Bell, in 1943;
Whereas Reverend Graham had 3 daughters, 2 sons, 19 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren; Whereas, in 1950, Reverend Graham founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina;
Whereas Reverend Graham preached to nearly 215,000,000 individuals in more than 185 countries and territories on 6 continents; Whereas Reverend Graham provided spiritual counsel for every President since Harry Truman;
Whereas Reverend Graham prayed with members of the Armed Forces in combat zones in South Korea and Vietnam; Whereas Reverend Graham spoke against the communist Soviet Union, saying, Communism has decided against God, against Christ, against the Bible, and against all religion.
;
Whereas Reverend Graham— (1)fought for racial integration;
(2)invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to preach with him in New York City in 1957; and (3)bailed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., out of jail when Dr. King was arrested for protesting segregation;
Whereas, following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Reverend Graham spoke words of hope and comfort to the people of the United States at the Washington National Cathedral; Whereas Reverend Graham authored 34 books, including the bestselling autobiography, Just as I Am
, which began by discussing his early days on a dairy farm in North Carolina and continued through his career as a preacher and evangelist; and
Whereas Reverend Graham received numerous honors, including— (1)the North Carolina Award for Public Service;
(2)the Presidential Medal of Freedom; (3)the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award; and
(4)the Congressional Gold Medal: Now, therefore, be it That Congress—
(1)extends its sympathies to the family of William Billy
F. Graham, Jr.; and (2)honors—
(A)the life and ministry of Reverend Graham; and (B)the contributions of Reverend Graham to—
(i)the State of North Carolina; (ii)the United States of America; and
(iii)the moral and religious lives of millions of individuals. Passed the Senate February 28, 2018.Julie E. Adams,Secretary