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Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Graham began his studies for the ministry at [[Bob Jones University]]. But he was unhappy with its confining creed and moved on to become one of 75 students at Florida Bible Institute, where he stayed two and a half years before transferring, in 1940, to [[Wheaton College]] in Illinois, graduating in 1943. In 1944 Graham went on the road for the Youth for Christ movement and loved the traveling life so much that in the years ahead he spent little time at home, in Montreat, North Carolina, with his family.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Graham began his studies for the ministry at [[Bob Jones University]]. But he was unhappy with its confining creed and moved on to become one of 75 students at Florida Bible Institute, where he stayed two and a half years before transferring, in 1940, to [[Wheaton College]] in Illinois, graduating in 1943. In 1944 Graham went on the road for the Youth for Christ movement and loved the traveling life so much that in the years ahead he spent little time at home, in Montreat, North Carolina, with his family.
His message caught fire in the 1950s. The mass circulation national magazines (much more important in those days than today), including ''Life,'' ''Time'', ''Look,'' and ''Newsweek'' put Graham on their covers a dozen times. Advertising experts gave Graham awards two years in a row for being the most publicized person in America.
His message caught fire in the 1950s. The mass circulation national magazines (much more important in those days than today), including ''Life,'' ''Time'', ''Look,'' and ''Newsweek'' put Graham on their covers a dozen times. Advertising experts gave Graham awards two years in a row for being the most publicized person in America. In the era of [[Jim Crow]], Graham reached across racial lines and sought integrated audiences.
He attracted massive turnouts in the United States, Britain , and Australia.<ref> Judith Smart, "The Evangelist as Star: The Billy Graham Crusade in Australia, 1959." ''Journal of Popular Culture'' 1999 33(1): 165-175.</ref> Audiences responded to his authenticity and the message of self help. He worked with local ministers to steer people into membership in local churches, and did not attempt to build his own megachurch. A master of television, he turned this medium into the cornerstone of his $40 million international conglomerate, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., which also coordinated weekly radio broadcasts, a weekly newspaper column, a movie studio, a publishing house, a monthly magazine, and a mail-order distribution of religious objects. He wrote numerous inspirational books, most of which became best-sellers, such as ''The Jesus Generation'' (1971), ''Angels: God's Secret Agents'' (1975), and ''How to Be Born Again'' (1977).
He attracted massive turnouts in the United States, Britain , and Australia.<ref> Judith Smart, "The Evangelist as Star: The Billy Graham Crusade in Australia, 1959." ''Journal of Popular Culture'' 1999 33(1): 165-175.</ref> Audiences responded to his authenticity and the message of self help. He worked with local ministers to steer people into membership in local churches, and did not attempt to build his own megachurch. A master of television, he turned this medium into the cornerstone of his $40 million international conglomerate, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., which also coordinated weekly radio broadcasts, a weekly newspaper column, a movie studio, a publishing house, a monthly magazine, and a mail-order distribution of religious objects. He wrote numerous inspirational books, most of which became best-sellers, such as ''The Jesus Generation'' (1971), ''Angels: God's Secret Agents'' (1975), and ''How to Be Born Again'' (1977).
He was a close advisor to numerous presidents, and helped the Republican party attain respectability and dominance in the South, his major base of support.
He was a close advisor to numerous presidents, and helped the Republican party attain respectability and dominance in the South, his major base of support.
Graham was a tireless foe of left-wingers and Communists. His support of the [[Vietnam war]] (1965-73) was unstinting, though later he said, "I was like a babe in the woods, [on that issue]. I didn't know what was really going on."
Graham was a tireless foe of left-wingers and Communists. His support of the [[Vietnam War]] (1965-73) was unstinting, though later he said, "I was like a babe in the woods, [on that issue]. I didn't know what was really going on."
During his career Graham significantly modified his views on race relations, Communism, America's role in God's plan for the world, and nuclear war. His Southern fundamentalist background helped him to take conservative positions on public issues. His ever-increasing ecumenical and global contacts, however, enabled him to break out of these constrictions and even build bridges to Roman Catholic and Jewish communities. Graham first broke with his Southern background over the issue of race and integration; he cooperated with presidents Eisenhower and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in working for improvements in civil rights. He gradually moved away from his hard anti-Communist position as his travels to the Soviet Union have forced him to reevaluate his views on Communism. He began to warn against the nuclear arms race By 1980 he thought of his view of a Christian America as a civil religion.<ref> Richard V. Pierard, "From Evangelical Exclusivism to Ecumenical Openness: Billy Graham and Sociopolitical Issues." '' Journal of Ecumenical Studies'' 1983 20(3): 425-446. 0022-0558 </ref>
==Recent==
==Recent==
Now 90 years old, he has only recently retired for good after previously continuing to pop up from time to time to headline more events. He is now writing a book on growing older at 90 and that even if the body is no longer strong, that the spiritual journey to God still can be.
Now 90 years old, he has only recently retired for good after previously continuing to pop up from time to time to headline more events. He is now writing a book on growing older at 90 and that even if the body is no longer strong, that the spiritual journey to God still can be.
* Graham, Billy. ''Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham'' (1997, 2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Just-As-Am-Autobiography-Graham/dp/0061171069/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234709100&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Graham, Billy. ''Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham'' (1997, 2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Just-As-Am-Autobiography-Graham/dp/0061171069/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234709100&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Long, Michael P. ''The Legacy of Billy Graham: Critical Reflections on America's Greatest Evangelist'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Billy-Graham-Reflections-Evangelist/dp/0664231381/ref=sr_1_47?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234709300&sr=1-47 excerpt and text search]
* Long, Michael P. ''The Legacy of Billy Graham: Critical Reflections on America's Greatest Evangelist'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Billy-Graham-Reflections-Evangelist/dp/0664231381/ref=sr_1_47?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234709300&sr=1-47 excerpt and text search]
* Martin, William. ''A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story.'' (1991). 735 pp.
* Miller, Steven P. ''Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South'' (2009)
* Miller, Steven P. ''Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South'' (2009)