Dedication ceremony will feature remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Franklin Graham, along with music from three-time Grammy Award winner Michael W. Smith
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 8, 2024—On Thursday, May 16, a statue of the late Rev. Billy Graham—representing the state of North Carolina—will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol. The sculpture, created by Charlotte-based artist Chas Fagan, depicts Graham gesturing toward an open Bible in his hand. The seven-foot bronze statue stands on a pedestal engraved with verses from the Bible that highlight Graham’s lifelong commitment to sharing the Gospel.
“This is a great honor and my father would be humbled and grateful,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. “At the same time, he would not want the attention on himself but on God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Billy Graham, who died at age 99 in 2018, spent more than 80 years preaching to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people across six continents. Obedient to God’s call on his life, Billy Graham was faithful in providing spiritual counsel to 12 sitting presidents and dozens of world leaders, reaching out to the needy, comforting the nation in tragedies, and doing the work of an evangelist around the globe.
“The legacy of Rev. Billy Graham is based on his simple message of forgiveness based on John 3:16. His lifelong commitment to preaching the Gospel, his fight for civil rights, his opposition to communism, and his spiritual guidance provided hope to hundreds of millions,” said Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) who was part of the bipartisan effort to place the statue in the Capitol. “He was the first private citizen from North Carolina to lie in honor in the United States Capitol and his likeness should stand in the U.S. Capitol forever.”
Graham was named North Carolina’s “Favorite Son” by a unanimous vote of the state General Assembly in 2013. This set the stage for then-North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to sign House Bill 540 in to law in 2015, which decreed that a statue of Graham would be commissioned to represent the state in the U.S. Capitol. The House Bill calling for the statue said, “There have been many great North Carolinians, but few have impacted the world more than Billy Graham.”
The statue of Rev. Graham was created in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, at Chas Fagan Fine Art. It was cast in bronze at Carolina Bronze Sculpture, a foundry in Seagrove, North Carolina, and the statue base is Salisbury granite from a quarry in Rowan County. The base is inscribed with two Bible verses—John 3:16 and John 14:6—and also features a plaque similar to Graham’s grave marker on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library: “Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The statue’s unveiling will take place during a private dedication ceremony in The National Statuary Hall. Members of the Graham family, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, other congressional representatives, and the North Carolina Statuary Hall Committee, will be present for this event. There will also be special music from three-time Grammy-winner Michael W. Smith.
The National Statuary Hall is located along the perimeter of the Rotunda and in the Crypt of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Each state has two statues representing important historical figures from their state on display in the Hall, Crypt, or subsequent Capitol Visitor Center. With only 100 statues on display at any given time, the addition of a sculpture for the National Statuary Hall statue is a rare and unique opportunity. Rev. Graham holds the distinction of being one of the only private citizens to receive three of the highest honors from Congress—the Congressional Gold Medal, to have laid in honor at the U.S. Capitol, and to have a statue commissioned for Statuary Hall.
About the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)
Founded by Billy Graham in 1950, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shares the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. From its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, the BGEA directs a wide range of domestic and international ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and Will Graham; The Billy Graham Library; The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, located outside of Asheville, North Carolina; SearchforJesus.net, an internet evangelism project reaching thousands of people for Christ online; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the internet. For more information, please visit billygraham.org. Get news updates on X (formerly Twitter) at twitter.com/BGEAnews.
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MEDIA INFORMATION
WHAT:
Statue of Rev. Billy Graham to be unveiled and dedicated in a private ceremony at The National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
WHEN:
Thursday, May 16, 2024
- 9:00 a.m. EDT – Media outlets pre-set equipment at the U.S. Capitol for a security sweep
- 11:00 a.m. EDT – Dedication ceremony begins in Statuary Hall
- 12:00 p.m. EDT – Media availability with Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Cissie Graham Lynch, North Carolina Statuary Hall Committee member and granddaughter of Rev. Billy Graham
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
- Film and photograph the special ceremony, which will include remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Franklin Graham, and music from Michael W. Smith.
BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lisa Moseley, 980-939-4377 or Mark Barber, 828-386-5803
MEDIA CREDENTIALS:
To cover the Billy Graham Statuary Hall Dedication at the U.S. Capitol, every member of the media must apply for House media credentials by contacting Abby Ronson at Abby.Ronson@mail.house.gov. Include your name, outlet, medium (print, photos, video), and email. Credentials are for working media only and outlets are asked to limit coverage to one representative per organization. Exceptions may be considered for outlets that need to send a photographer along with a journalist. Credential requests must be submitted by May 13 at 5 p.m.
MEDIA RESOURCES:
To download high-res photos and b-roll of Billy Graham, visit this press kit https://media.billygraham.org/statuary-hall-dedication/. Photos and b-roll of the dedication will be available after the ceremony.