Bob Graham
Encyclopedia
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator
from that state from 1987 to 2005. Following a failed bid for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2004 presidential
race, Graham was considered a possible running mate for John Kerry
.
Graham dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on October 6, 2003 and announced his retirement from the Senate on November 3, 2003.
Graham is now concentrating his efforts on the newly established Bob Graham Center for Public Service
at his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Florida
. He also serves as Chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of WMD proliferation and terrorism
and advocates for the recommendations in the Commission report, World at Risk.
. He married Adele Khoury Graham
, of Miami Shores
, in 1959. They have four daughters: Gwen Graham, Cissy Graham McCullough, Suzanne Graham Gibson and Kendall Graham Elias. The Grahams also have 11 grandchildren.
Graham is the son of Ernest "Cap" Graham
, a Florida state senator, mining engineer and dairy/cattleman, and Hilda Simmons Graham, a schoolteacher. He is the youngest of four children. His siblings are the late Philip Graham
, former publisher of the Washington Post; the late William Graham of Miami Lakes, Florida; and the late Mary Crow.
Bob Graham attended Miami Senior High School from 1951 to 1955, he was Student Body President his senior year. He was also president of Key Club, the Kiwanis service organization. While at Miami High Graham was the recipient of the Sigma Chi Award, the school's highest honor. He received a bachelor's degree in 1959 in political science from the University of Florida
, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu
fraternity. While at UF he was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame and was inducted into Florida Blue Key
. He went on to receive an LLB from Harvard Law School
in 1962. His eldest brother, Philip (1915–1963), was also a Harvard Law alum.
in 1966 and reelected in 1968. He was elected to the Florida State Senate in 1970 and was reelected in 1974. At retirement he had served 38 consecutive years in public office.
. At that time, Bob Graham was on the Education Committee. After a speech, M. Sue Riley, an English teacher at Carol City, approached Bob Graham and said, "The only problem with members of the Education Committee is nobody has any experience in education." Bob Graham was taken aback at that assertion and asked, "Well, what can I do about that?" A few months later, Ms. Riley contacted Senator Graham with a proposal to teach the next semester of civics. Following that teaching experience, he performed 99 additional workdays prior to his successful 1986 campaign for U.S. Senate. Graham has continued doing workdays throughout his tenure as governor and in the United States Senate. His jobs have included service as a police officer, busboy, railroad engineer, construction worker
, fisherman
, garbageman, factory worker, and teacher. On No. 365, he checked in customers, handled baggage and helped serve passengers on US Airways
. He totaled 386 days.
s." With this victory, he realized his father's dream: Cap Graham had run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination to be Governor of Florida back in 1944. Graham was re-elected in 1982 with 65% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Skip Bafalis.
Graham emphasized education, and placed a focus on improvement of the public universities in the state. By the end of his second term the state university system was among the first quartile of state systems in America, and its public schools and community colleges had substantially improved their academic standing.
In addition, Graham's administration focused on economic diversification and environmental policies. During his tenure as Governor, the state added 1.2 million jobs, and for the first time in state history the per capita income of Floridians exceeded the US average. For three of his eight years Florida was rated by the accounting firm Grant Thornton as having the best business climate of all states in the union.
Graham also launched the most extensive environmental protection program in the state's history, focused on preserving endangered lands. During his tenure thousands of acres of threatened and environmentally important lands were brought into state ownership for permanent protection. His keystone accomplishment was the establishment of the Save the Everglades program, which as now been joined by the federal government in a joint effort.
Graham left the Governorship with an 83% approval rating.
55 to 45 percent. He was re-elected in 1992 (over Bill Grant
, 66%–34%) and 1998 (over Charlie Crist
, 63%–37%) and chose not to seek re-election in 2004, retiring from the Senate in January 2005.
During his 18 years in the Senate, Graham served on the environment and finance committees. He was also active on veteran's issues and foreign policy, including chairing the US-Spain Council, for which he received the highest civilian recognition for a non-Spaniard by King Juan Carlos.
He served for 10 years on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which he chaired during and after 9/11 and the run up the Iraq war. As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Graham opposed the War in Iraq for fear it would divert U.S. attention from the fight in Afghanistan. After reviewing information and meeting with military leaders in February 2002, he decided the war would be a "distraction" that would end poorly. He continues to oppose the Iraq War today. As a result of his service as the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in 2004 Bob Graham authored the book Intelligence Matters: The CIA, the FBI, Saudi Arabia and the Failure of America's War on Terror. In September 2008 the book was released as a Paperback with a new preface and postscript.
Bob Graham was a member of the New Democrat Coalition
.
He has a well-known habit of logging his daily activities on color-coded notebooks, which some say may have cost him a spot on past vice-presidential tickets. All of the notebooks are now housed at the University of Florida library. A great champion for his home state, Graham always kept Florida orange juice on hand in his Senate office and was rarely seen without his trademark Florida tie.
's shortlist of potential running mate
s, as well as a confirmed finalist on Bill Clinton
's list in 1992.
on the Democratic ticket on February 27, 2003. However, on October 7, 2003, with polls showing him in last place among a field of ten candidates, he announced he was ending his presidential campaign, saying he started his campaign too late and had trouble raising money. In November, he announced that he would not seek another term in the Senate.
After John Kerry
became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in March 2004, there was some discussion in the media that Graham might be on the short list
of Kerry's choices for vice president, presumably at least in part because having Graham on the ticket might have helped Kerry to win Florida in the presidential election.
After teaching at Harvard University for the 2005–2006 academic year, Graham is now focused on founding two centers to train future political leaders, one at the University of Florida
where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 1959 and one in his hometown at University of Miami
.
The UF Center, known as the Bob Graham Center for Public Service
, is housed in the university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
and provides students with opportunities to train for future leadership positions, meet current policymakers and take courses in critical thinking, language learning and studies of world cultures. On February 9, 2008, Mike Haridopolos
Hall was dedicated on the UF campus funded by longtime friend and fraternity brother of Graham, Jim Pugh, and his wife Alexis and serves as home to the center, as well as the university's oral history and African and Asian languages programs.
In the Spring of 2009 Bob Graham published a book titled "America, The Owner's Manual: Making Government work for you" which aims to inspire and teach citizens how they can participate in their democracy in effective ways.
Bob Graham currently serves as the Chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Graham has also been sworn in as a member of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
, established by Congress to examine the global and domestic causes of the recent financial crisis. The Commission will provide its findings and conclusions in a final report due to Congress on December 15, 2010. Also in 2010, Graham was named co-chairman of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
.
, a residential and commercial community, in 1963 under the leadership of Bob Graham's brother, William. To this day, Bob Graham still owns a significant share of the Graham Companies, which is estimated to be worth $10 million. To avoid a potential conflict of interest
, his various investments, including his share in the Miami Lakes development, are managed by a proxy and reported to Graham at the end of each year. Graham's total net worth is reported to be between $7.35 million and $31.7 million .
, which was rebuilt during Graham's time as Governor, was renamed the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge by the Florida Legislature.
On May 6, 2006 at the Spring commencement for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the University of Florida
awarded Bob Graham an honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Public Service.
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United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from that state from 1987 to 2005. Following a failed bid for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2004 presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
race, Graham was considered a possible running mate for John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
.
Graham dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on October 6, 2003 and announced his retirement from the Senate on November 3, 2003.
Graham is now concentrating his efforts on the newly established Bob Graham Center for Public Service
Bob Graham Center for Public Service
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service, housed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a community of students, scholars and citizens who share a commitment to training the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community....
at his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. He also serves as Chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of WMD proliferation and terrorism
Commission on the Prevention of WMD proliferation and terrorism
The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism was set up "to assess, within 180 days, any and all of the nation's activities, initiatives, and programs to prevent weapons of mass destruction proliferation and terrorism." The Graham/Talent WMD...
and advocates for the recommendations in the Commission report, World at Risk.
Personal background
Graham was born in Coral Gables, FloridaCoral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
. He married Adele Khoury Graham
Adele Khoury Graham
Adele Khoury Graham is a Lebanese-American educator and the wife of former Florida governor and senator Bob Graham.Adele Graham was the First Lady of the state of Florida from 1979 to 1987. She spent her career as public school teacher in Massachusetts and Miami, Florida. In all, she had four...
, of Miami Shores
Miami Shores, Florida
Miami Shores is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,380 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,040....
, in 1959. They have four daughters: Gwen Graham, Cissy Graham McCullough, Suzanne Graham Gibson and Kendall Graham Elias. The Grahams also have 11 grandchildren.
Graham is the son of Ernest "Cap" Graham
Ernest R. Graham (politician)
Ernest R. "Cap" Graham was a political figure in Florida, having served as a member of the Florida Senate from 1937 to 1944, when he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Florida in 1943-44. As a senator, Graham lobbied in Tallahassee and Washington D.C. to bring...
, a Florida state senator, mining engineer and dairy/cattleman, and Hilda Simmons Graham, a schoolteacher. He is the youngest of four children. His siblings are the late Philip Graham
Phil Graham
Philip Leslie Graham was an American publisher and businessman. He was the publisher and co-owner of The Washington Post...
, former publisher of the Washington Post; the late William Graham of Miami Lakes, Florida; and the late Mary Crow.
Bob Graham attended Miami Senior High School from 1951 to 1955, he was Student Body President his senior year. He was also president of Key Club, the Kiwanis service organization. While at Miami High Graham was the recipient of the Sigma Chi Award, the school's highest honor. He received a bachelor's degree in 1959 in political science from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity. While at UF he was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame and was inducted into Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
. He went on to receive an LLB from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1962. His eldest brother, Philip (1915–1963), was also a Harvard Law alum.
Political career
Graham is a Democrat who never lost an election prior to his bid for the 2004 Presidential nomination. He was first elected to the Florida House of RepresentativesFlorida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
in 1966 and reelected in 1968. He was elected to the Florida State Senate in 1970 and was reelected in 1974. At retirement he had served 38 consecutive years in public office.
Workdays
Bob Graham's campaign trademark was to work a full, eight-hour day at various jobs which represented Florida's constituents. He began his "Workdays" in 1974, teaching a semester of civics at Miami Carol City Senior High School in Miami while serving in the Florida SenateFlorida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
. At that time, Bob Graham was on the Education Committee. After a speech, M. Sue Riley, an English teacher at Carol City, approached Bob Graham and said, "The only problem with members of the Education Committee is nobody has any experience in education." Bob Graham was taken aback at that assertion and asked, "Well, what can I do about that?" A few months later, Ms. Riley contacted Senator Graham with a proposal to teach the next semester of civics. Following that teaching experience, he performed 99 additional workdays prior to his successful 1986 campaign for U.S. Senate. Graham has continued doing workdays throughout his tenure as governor and in the United States Senate. His jobs have included service as a police officer, busboy, railroad engineer, construction worker
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
, fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
, garbageman, factory worker, and teacher. On No. 365, he checked in customers, handled baggage and helped serve passengers on US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
. He totaled 386 days.
Governor of Florida
Bob Graham was elected Governor of Florida in 1978 after a seven-way Democratic primary race in which he initially placed second to Robert L. Shevin. His supporters at the time dubbed themselves "Graham crackerCracker (pejorative)
Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a pejorative term for white people. It is an ethnic slur that is especially used for the white inhabitants of the U.S. states of Georgia and Florida , but it is also used throughout the United States.-Etymology:One theory holds that the term comes from the...
s." With this victory, he realized his father's dream: Cap Graham had run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination to be Governor of Florida back in 1944. Graham was re-elected in 1982 with 65% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Skip Bafalis.
Graham emphasized education, and placed a focus on improvement of the public universities in the state. By the end of his second term the state university system was among the first quartile of state systems in America, and its public schools and community colleges had substantially improved their academic standing.
In addition, Graham's administration focused on economic diversification and environmental policies. During his tenure as Governor, the state added 1.2 million jobs, and for the first time in state history the per capita income of Floridians exceeded the US average. For three of his eight years Florida was rated by the accounting firm Grant Thornton as having the best business climate of all states in the union.
Graham also launched the most extensive environmental protection program in the state's history, focused on preserving endangered lands. During his tenure thousands of acres of threatened and environmentally important lands were brought into state ownership for permanent protection. His keystone accomplishment was the establishment of the Save the Everglades program, which as now been joined by the federal government in a joint effort.
Graham left the Governorship with an 83% approval rating.
- Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of FloridaThe Lieutenant Governor of Florida is a statewide elected office in the government of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the Florida Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term congruent with that of the Governor of Florida, and succeeds to the office of Governor if it...
: Wayne MixsonWayne MixsonJohn Wayne Mixson, better known as Wayne Mixson was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. He assumed the office in January 1987 after Bob Graham stepped down to take his seat in the United States Senate, and served only three days until the governor-elect, Bob Martinez, was sworn in... - Secretary of StateSecretary of State of FloridaThe Secretary of State of Florida is a constitutional officer of the state government of the U.S. state of Florida, established by the original 1838 state constitution....
: George FirestoneGeorge FirestoneGeorge Firestone is an American political figure from the U.S. state of Florida. He is a Democrat.Firestone was born in New York City in 1931. He moved to Miami, Florida with his family as a child in 1936. Firestone served in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1952... - Attorney GeneralFlorida Attorney GeneralThe Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state....
: Alan Becker (1978–82), James C. SmithJames C. SmithJames Cloudis Smith is an American lawyer. He served as Florida Attorney General, Florida Secretary of State, and is current the Chairman of the Florida State University Board of Trustees.-Early years:Smith received his B.S...
(1982–86) - Treasurer: Bill GunterBill GunterWilliam Dawson "Bill" Gunter, Jr. was an American politician from the state of Florida.-Early life and education:Gunter was born in Jacksonville in 1934. He attended public schools in Live Oak and received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Florida in 1956...
- ComptrollerFlorida ComptrollerThe Florida Comptroller was the state comptroller of Florida from 1845 to 2003...
: Gerald LewisGerald LewisGerald Lewis is a retired professional American basketball player. A 1.90 m guard, he led the Euroleague in steals during the 1998-99 season with 2.5 per game. It was his first and last participation in the competition, playing for KK Zadar.- External links :**... - Commissioner of AgricultureFlorida Commissioner of AgricultureThe Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the head of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services . The position is elected by voters statewide and is one of four members in the Florida Cabinet...
: Doyle ConnerDoyle ConnerDoyle Edward Conner Sr. is an American politician. He served as Florida Commissioner of Agriculture for about 30 years, and also served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.-Education:... - Commissioner of Education: Ralph D. Turlington
- Chief of StaffChief of StaffThe title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
: Charles B. Reed
U.S. Senator
Graham was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, defeating incumbent Sen. Paula HawkinsPaula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins was an U.S. politician from Florida. She is to date the only woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without a family connection....
55 to 45 percent. He was re-elected in 1992 (over Bill Grant
James W. Grant
James William "Bill" Grant is an American banker and former politician from Madison, Florida.A graduate of Florida State University, he attended the University of Florida for graduate studies. He represented in the U. S. Congress from 1987 to 1991...
, 66%–34%) and 1998 (over Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
, 63%–37%) and chose not to seek re-election in 2004, retiring from the Senate in January 2005.
During his 18 years in the Senate, Graham served on the environment and finance committees. He was also active on veteran's issues and foreign policy, including chairing the US-Spain Council, for which he received the highest civilian recognition for a non-Spaniard by King Juan Carlos.
He served for 10 years on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which he chaired during and after 9/11 and the run up the Iraq war. As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Graham opposed the War in Iraq for fear it would divert U.S. attention from the fight in Afghanistan. After reviewing information and meeting with military leaders in February 2002, he decided the war would be a "distraction" that would end poorly. He continues to oppose the Iraq War today. As a result of his service as the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in 2004 Bob Graham authored the book Intelligence Matters: The CIA, the FBI, Saudi Arabia and the Failure of America's War on Terror. In September 2008 the book was released as a Paperback with a new preface and postscript.
Bob Graham was a member of the New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
The New Democrat Coalition is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as moderate and pro-growth. A July 2009 Press release described the organization as "the largest moderate coalition in the U.S...
.
He has a well-known habit of logging his daily activities on color-coded notebooks, which some say may have cost him a spot on past vice-presidential tickets. All of the notebooks are now housed at the University of Florida library. A great champion for his home state, Graham always kept Florida orange juice on hand in his Senate office and was rarely seen without his trademark Florida tie.
Presidential and Vice Presidential politics
Graham was considered as a potential Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1984, 1988, 1992 and 2000. In 2000 he was reportedly on Al GoreAl Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's shortlist of potential running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
s, as well as a confirmed finalist on Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's list in 1992.
2004 Presidential Race
Graham announced his candidacy for President of the United States in the 2004 electionUnited States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
on the Democratic ticket on February 27, 2003. However, on October 7, 2003, with polls showing him in last place among a field of ten candidates, he announced he was ending his presidential campaign, saying he started his campaign too late and had trouble raising money. In November, he announced that he would not seek another term in the Senate.
After John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in March 2004, there was some discussion in the media that Graham might be on the short list
Short list
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates . The length of short lists varies according to the context.-U.S...
of Kerry's choices for vice president, presumably at least in part because having Graham on the ticket might have helped Kerry to win Florida in the presidential election.
After politics
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 1959 and one in his hometown at University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
The UF Center, known as the Bob Graham Center for Public Service
Bob Graham Center for Public Service
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service, housed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a community of students, scholars and citizens who share a commitment to training the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community....
, is housed in the university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the University of Florida's college for the liberal arts and sciences. and the largest of the university's 16 colleges. Most core curriculum classes and 42 majors and minors are part of the college...
and provides students with opportunities to train for future leadership positions, meet current policymakers and take courses in critical thinking, language learning and studies of world cultures. On February 9, 2008, Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Florida. He is president of the Florida Senate, a body in which he represents the 26th District. He was a candidate for the United States Senate in the 2012 election until he withdrew on July 18, 2011. His district of almost...
Hall was dedicated on the UF campus funded by longtime friend and fraternity brother of Graham, Jim Pugh, and his wife Alexis and serves as home to the center, as well as the university's oral history and African and Asian languages programs.
In the Spring of 2009 Bob Graham published a book titled "America, The Owner's Manual: Making Government work for you" which aims to inspire and teach citizens how they can participate in their democracy in effective ways.
Bob Graham currently serves as the Chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Graham has also been sworn in as a member of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
The Commission reported its findings in January 2011. It concluded that "the crisis was avoidable and was caused by: Widespread failures in financial regulation, including the Federal Reserve’s failure to stem the...
, established by Congress to examine the global and domestic causes of the recent financial crisis. The Commission will provide its findings and conclusions in a final report due to Congress on December 15, 2010. Also in 2010, Graham was named co-chairman of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling is a bipartisan presidential commission, established by Executive Order 13543 signed by Barack Obama on May 21, 2010, that is “tasked with providing recommendations on how the United States can prevent and mitigate...
in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
.
Business interests
The Graham dairy farm was redeveloped into Miami LakesMiami Lakes, Florida
Miami Lakes is a Miami suburban incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
, a residential and commercial community, in 1963 under the leadership of Bob Graham's brother, William. To this day, Bob Graham still owns a significant share of the Graham Companies, which is estimated to be worth $10 million. To avoid a potential conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
, his various investments, including his share in the Miami Lakes development, are managed by a proxy and reported to Graham at the end of each year. Graham's total net worth is reported to be between $7.35 million and $31.7 million .
Honors
On November 18, 2005, the Sunshine Skyway BridgeSunshine Skyway Bridge
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayed main span, and a total length of 21,877 feet . It is part of I-275 and US 19 , connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough...
, which was rebuilt during Graham's time as Governor, was renamed the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge by the Florida Legislature.
On May 6, 2006 at the Spring commencement for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
awarded Bob Graham an honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Public Service.
External links
- 1983 Interview by Dave Barry
- Biography from the Congressional Biographical Directory
- Bob Graham profile, NNDB
- Intelligence Matters If the president wants to deny the American people knowledge as to what the Saudis did to support the terrorists, that’s the president’s prerogative.
- The Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida
- Online Photo Exhibit of Bob Graham's workdays, presented by the State Archives of Florida
- Nuclear or Biological Attack Called Likely
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