Frank Porter Graham, a white educator and politician, was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1886. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1909 and went on to study law at the university, although he never practiced as an attorney. He also pursued graduate study at a number of other institutions of higher education.
Graham returned to Chapel Hill in the late 1910s and began a storied career with UNC-Chapel Hill, becoming one of the most prominent figures in the history of the university. He served as dean of students, assistant professor, and associate professor, and eventually became a full professor of history in 1927 even though his graduate education had not resulted in a doctorate degree. Graham became known as one of the university’s most enthusiastic and highly regarded professors, and became very popular among students, attracting a large and diverse following to his courses. His work in education was interrupted by a stint of service in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War I.
In 1930, Graham was named president of UNC-Chapel Hill, a role he served in until 1949. During his tenure as president, which spanned the years of the Great Depression and World War II, UNC-Chapel Hill came to be known as one of the nation’s leading public universities, and Graham advocated for causes such as freedom of speech, financial support and scholarships for students, and helping those in need during the years of the Depression. His efforts in support of social justice and social change extended beyond the university to the wider community.
In 1949, Graham left UNC-Chapel Hill to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat by appointment of North Carolina Governor Kerr Scott. He ran unsuccessfully to fill the seat in the 1950 election, losing an initial lead after his primary opponent took aim at Graham’s known support of and commitment to civil rights. After working for a brief time at the U.S. Department of Labor, Graham served as a United Nations representative, mediating the conflict between India and Pakistan in Kashmir and advocating for world peace.
Graham passed away in 1972 and is buried in Chapel Hill. The student union building on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, built in 1968, is named after him.