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Billy Graham Biography

Birth Name:

William Franklin Graham Jr.

Birth Place:

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Profession

Evangelist

Fast Facts

Raised on a dairy farm
Made a commitment to Jesus Christ at age 16 after attending revival meetings run by evangelist Modecai Ham
Was ordained a Southern Baptist minister in 1939
Rose to national prominence as a result of his hugely popular eight-week L
A
crusade in 1949
Expanded his ministry through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), founded in 1950
Disassociated from the Christian right in the 1980s and condemned violence committed by the antiabortion group Operation Rescue
Established the film distribution and production company World Wide Pictures
Consistently appeared on the Gallup Poll's list of Ten Most Admired Men in the World