April 17, 2024 – Former National Conference on Citizenship Board Member, the Honorable Senator Bob Graham has passed away at age 87.
Senator Graham dedicated his life to public service and served on the NCoC Board of Directors from 2012 to 2023. He was a lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987, a United States senator from Florida from 1987 to 2005 and a candidate for President in the 2004 election.
Senator Graham served on the NCoC Board of Directors for over 10 years (2012-2023) – bringing the organization into a new era of strengthening democracy and civic engagement through innovative programs. Senator Graham was the co-founder of the successful Florida Civic Health Index, which led to the passage of the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act in Florida – now a model for legislation in other states.
Senator Graham was a renowned lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th governor of Florida (1979-1987), a United States Senator from Florida (1987-2005) and a candidate for President in the 2004 election. At NCoC, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship and in thousands of interactions with organizations throughout the country, Senator Graham’s undying faith in democracy was remarkable.
Many in the NCoC community who had the opportunity to work with Bob Graham remember his passion and profound dedication to the work of civic engagement and public service. As NCoC reflects on Senator Graham’s legacy, we make a renewed commitment to the critical work we all do to strengthen our democracy and communities.
Please find Senator Graham’s obituary in the New York Times here. The National Conference on Citizenship extends its condolences to Senator Graham’s wife, Adele, and their entire family and community.
Our Board Chair Emeritus, Michael Weiser, who worked closely with Senator Graham over the years, shared this:
“The most accurate measure of Bob Graham’s civic character was the service he committed himself to after elective office in the Senate and in Tallahassee. He neither rested on his laurels nor put his feet up. Gracefully, he got down from the pedestal we had placed him on and worked with us to make our city, state and country a better place – at NCoC, at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, with former Republican congressman Lou Frey. Above all, we praise this service. We were honored to have served with Bob on the NCoC board. He raised us up and helped to drive us forward on our mission: to call our fellow citizens to civic duty.”