photo by University of Florida/ Lyon Duong
Bob Graham
From Workdays to Retirement: Four Decades of Public Service By Kelly Oden Former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, Bob Graham is a public servant for the ages. In his four decades of elected public service and over a decade of citizen political involvement, Bob Graham has tirelessly fought for the citizens of Florida across a spectrum of issues including education, the environment, the elderly, water conservation, civic engagement and more. Born and raised on a dairy farm in South Florida, Graham jokes that he was born into politics—attending his father’s political rallies while still in the womb and being born on November 9, 1936, one week after his father was elected to the Florida Senate. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Graham returned to his home in what is now Miami Lakes and won a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. A lifelong Democrat, Graham was part of a progressive group of Democrats who focused on civil rights, the environment, public education and more. Those same principles endured and even guided Graham as he served as the 38th governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from 1987 to 2005. A signature element of his 1978 gubernatorial campaign was Graham’s work days during which he trained and worked 100 ordinary jobs, laboring at everything from changing bedpans and cleaning invalids in a nursing home to wielding blowtorches as 32 Coming of Age summer 2018
a steelworker and going without sleep as a long-haul trucker. Graham continued the workdays as governor and then as a U.S Senator, working more than 400 workdays in his political career. As a U.S. Senator, Graham focused on domestic issues like Everglades restoration, immigration and off-shore drilling and was considered a leading expert on foreign policy and intelligence. During his last term, he was named chairman on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. In 2010, Senator Graham served as Co-Chair of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Graham’s passion for public service is evident in his work with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, which serves as a training ground for the next generation of Sunshine State leaders. Graham has been married to his wife, Adele for nearly 60 years. They have four children and 11 grandchildren, with whom they enjoy spending their retirement. Their daughter, Gwen Graham, is following in her father’s footsteps—she is running for Governor of Florida in the 2018 elections. Coming of Age had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Bob Graham about his upbringing, his accomplishments, and the importance of public service.