Ernest R. Graham

Who was Ernest R. Graham?

Ernest R. "Cap" Graham was a political figure in Florida, having served as a member of the Florida Senate from 1937 to 1944, when he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Florida in 1943-44. As a senator, Graham lobbied in Tallahassee and Washington D.C. to bring benefits to Miami-Dade County. He proposed the creation of a public university in the county, and although his efforts were unsuccessful during his lifetime, they eventually led to the establishment of Florida International University. The student union at Florida International University is named in honor of Graham, named the Graham Center. In 1948, Graham unsuccessfully sought election to the Dade County Commission. Other than his involvement in politics, Graham worked as a mining engineer in South Dakota and farmer in Florida.

Graham married Florence Morris, originally of Lincoln, Nebraska and later of South Dakota. Their children were Mary Graham, Philip Graham, who later became husband of Katharine Graham and publisher of the Washington Post, and Bill Graham. In 1934, Florence died of cancer, and in 1936, Graham married Hilda Simmons, a schoolteacher.