A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE MEMORY OF RUTH BELL GRAHAM AND NAMING BILLY GRAHAM NORTH CAROLINA'S FAVORITE SON.
Whereas, Billy Graham was born William Franklin Graham, Jr. on November 7, 1918, to William Franklin Graham and Morrow Coffey Graham and was reared on a dairy farm in Charlotte; and
Whereas, Ruth McCue Bell was born on June 10, 1920, to Dr. and Mrs. Nelson Bell in Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China, where her parents were serving as medical missionaries at the Presbyterian Hospital; and
Whereas, Billy Graham attended the Florida Bible Institute from 1937 to 1940, graduating in 1940, and was ordained to the ministry in 1939 by a church in the Southern Baptist Convention; and
Whereas, Billy Graham and Ruth McCue Bell met while attending Wheaton College in Illinois and were married shortly after their graduation on August 13, 1943; and
Whereas, after a few years, Billy and Ruth Graham moved to Montreat, North Carolina, where they raised five children, Virginia, Anne, Ruth, Franklin, and Nelson; and
Whereas, Billy Graham served as pastor of The Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois, from 1943 to 1945; as a member of Youth for Christ International, where he ministered to young people and military personnel from 1945 to 1950; and as President of Northwestern Schools, a liberal arts college, Bible school, and theological seminary, from 1947 to 1952; and
Whereas, after World War II, Billy Graham preached throughout the United States and Europe and attained international prominence as an evangelist through a series of crusades that began in 1949; and
Whereas, since 1950, Billy Graham has conducted his ministry through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), reaching multitudes of people by means of a weekly radio program, "Hour of Decision"; a newspaper column, "My Answer"; televised crusades; articles published in "Decision" magazine; and evangelistic films produced and distributed by World Wide Pictures and now reaching millions through the BGEA Web site and the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte; and
Whereas, over the years, Billy Graham has preached to live audiences of nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories and has preached to an estimated 2.2 billion people through television and technology; and
Whereas, a renowned humanitarian and philanthropist, Billy Graham has tried to help those in need through his work with the World Emergency Relief Fund, which gives financial assistance to disaster victims, and the "Love in Action" committees, which collected and distributed food and clothing in BGEA crusade cities; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the North Carolina Award for Public Service in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983; and Honorary Knighthood (KBE) from Her Majesty the Queen of England in 2001 for his international contribution to civic and religious life over 60 years; and
Whereas, Billy and Ruth Graham were both awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for "outstanding and lasting contributions to morality, racial equality, family, philanthropy, and religion" in 1996; and
Whereas, Billy Graham received the Big Brother of the Year Award in 1966 for his work on behalf of the welfare of children and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award in 2000 for monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has opposed racial discrimination and, in the 1950s and 1960s, never held a segregated meeting but conducted fully integrated crusades; and
Whereas, Billy Graham was cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations in 1964 and was recognized by the Anti‑Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith in 1969 and the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1971 for his efforts to foster a better understanding among all faiths; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has counseled 12 Presidents beginning with President Harry S. Truman through President Barack Obama and has participated in nine Presidential inaugurations, more than any man of American history; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has been referred to as the "Pastor of Presidents"; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has also counseled world leaders and has participated in many historic occasions; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has been called upon as the "nation's pastor" during times of national crisis. He spoke at the National Cathedral service in Washington, DC, three days after the 9/11 attack in 2001, as the nation and world watched and listened. Five Presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford, and their wives were in the audience; and
Whereas, Billy Graham has written more than 31 books, all of which have become best sellers, including his books, "Just As I Am," an autobiography published in 1997 and "Nearing Home" published in 2011; and
Whereas, Ruth Graham was also an author, writing or cowriting over 14 books, including "Sitting by My Laughing Fire," "Legacy of a Pack Rat," and "Prodigals and Those Who Love Them"; and
Whereas, Ruth Graham helped to establish the Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Health Center in Asheville; and
Whereas, on June 14, 2007, Billy Graham lost his partner and closest confidant, Ruth Bell Graham, who died at the age of 87; and
Whereas, in 2012, Billy Graham was listed on "The Ten Most Admired Men in the World" for the 56th time. He was first selected in 1955. According to the latest List, Reverend Graham was tied as Number 3 with Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, and Pope Benedict XVI behind President Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela; and
Whereas, admired and beloved by both Christians and non‑Christians, Billy Graham continues to inspire the world with his good works; and
Whereas, there have been many great North Carolinians, but few have impacted the world more than Billy Graham; and
Whereas, Billy Graham, having served our State and country as a faithful and fearless soldier of the cross, having carried the Gospel of Christ for more than 70 years throughout the world, is proud to call himself a Tar Heel and to make North Carolina his home; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
SECTION 1.  The North Carolina General Assembly honors the memory of Ruth Bell Graham, who made significant contributions to our State and nation through her partnership with her husband in marriage and ministry.
SECTION 2.  The North Carolina General Assembly honors and names Billy Graham as North Carolina's Favorite Son.
SECTION 3.  The North Carolina General Assembly requests the Governor to set a day to recognize and honor Billy Graham as North Carolina's Favorite Son.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.