John LeRoy Graham 

1937 Graduate of Florence High School

Volunteered for Military Duty and served as an Army Tech Sergeant at Camp Wheeler in Macon,

       Georgia after induction at Ft. Jackson

1929-49 Florence Morning News Sports Editor

1937-49 Florence Morning News Associate Editor where he wrote "Scene About Town" and sports columns and

       coverage

Federal Probation Officer 1949-77, Chief of Eastern District

Correspondent to The State, The News and Courier & the Charlotte Observer for 30 years

Publicity Director for the Eastern Carolina Regional Fair for 40 years

Free Lance Journalist publishing stories with the Sandlapper Magazine including Grant Bennett's Golf Coaching,

       the Country Club of South Carolina and Scuba Diving

While serving as the Sports Editor of the Florence Morning News, he conceived the idea of a stadium to honor

       military veterans (returning & deceased) and wrote columns which led to the fund raising project to build

       Memorial Stadium which opened in 1949

Along with his friend Ira Rainwater, they established the trophy given to the best Florence High School/McClenaghan

       High School Athlete from 1947 to 1975 and it is back in existence today, recognizing the Best Atletes, male

       and female Senior Athlete from the Florence District #1 High Schools

He was the driving force in the development of the inter-city leagues of teams from area cities and served as the

       official scorekeeper

Served as the official scorekeeper for the Class B Tri State Baseball League

Served as the official scorekeeper and wrote play by play for the Regional American Legion baseball tournaments

Official scorekeeper for all Florence High School football & basketball games

Helped to start the Florence Recreation Industrial Basketball Leagues

Served on the Board of Directors for 6 years to the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame

Aided deserving Florence youth into the Carolina's Boxing Hall of Fame

Served twice as the Yellow Jacket Booster Club President setting new membership records both times and

       encouraged Christian Lives from all Athletes

Served three years on the Florence County election commission

Served as Hearing Officer to Florence School District 1 & 4

Served on the Pee Dee Lung Board for 50 years and chair twice

Life member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board where he served for 50 years and as chair for one term

Served on Baptist Courier Board of Directors for 15 years

Active member of Gideon beginning in 1967

Active with the Retired Federal employees after retirement in 1997

Life Member and editor of the SC Congress of Parents and Teachers Newsletter for three years

Requested by family members, he assisted with 45 funerals and a was regular visitor to local hospitals

       for over 50 years

1987 Recieved the "Service to Mankind Award from Florence Sertoma Club

1988-89 "Citizen of the Year Award" from Florence Civitan Club

1997 "Merit Award" as Honorary Chaplain at McLeod Medical Center

December 28, 1997 was "Mabel and Roy Graham Day" at First Baptist Church and "Mabel and Roy Graham

       Appreciation Day" by the City of Florence and Mayor Frank Willis

Received the "Edward A. McDowell Award" from the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee of the SC Baptist

       Convention for "demonstrating Christianity in daily actions by touching the lives with the gospel and applying

       Christianity in public life in exceptional ways"

1998 Received the "Support Award" from the Pee Dee Community Action Agency Transitional Shelter