A tiny Billy Graham was born William F. Graham Jr. on November 7, 1918, on a dairy farm near Charlotte, North Carolina. Billy grew up to become a handsome preacher. He was a Southern Baptist like President Jimmy Carter. He was so famous that he helped many presidents and other important people by giving them advice. They asked him for his help, of course.
Billy has preached to millions of people in more than 180 countries and territories. Sometimes he preached on radio and TV, and sometimes to live audiences. But first Billy had to study. He attended different colleges after high school then graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1943. That’s when he got married to pretty Ruth Bell (1920-2007), who had been born in faraway China. Her parents were missionaries there. Billy and Ruth lived in a log cabin in the North Carolina mountains. That little cabin got bigger and bigger with additions over the years since Billy and Ruth had 5 children—3 girls and 2 boys! I’m sure you can see them playing and fighting on the green grass of summer!
Billy began speaking on a radio program called “Songs in the Night”. He was also a college president in Minnesota for 4 years. He began to hold revival meetings (where people pray and sing to God) inside big tents. He also liked to play golf. Then, he was on the cover of Time magazine in 1954. He was only 36 years old. That isn’t an easy thing to do!
Billy and Martin Luther King Jr., the African-American civil rights leader, became good friends in the 1960s. Billy wanted all citizens to enjoy the same rights.
Billy has received many medals, prizes and other awards, including an honorary knighthood given him by Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom (England) in 2001. Who can count all his awards?
Billy wrote almost 30 books. A great North American and servant of God, Billy isn’t perfect. No human being is, and sometimes he said things he decided to apologize for later. It is good that each person learns how to apologize, I think.
Ruth is now buried at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. Billy will also be buried there one day. Thank you for reading.
