Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-04
GRAHAM
Post Publisher Aided
Newspapers Growth

10, lSl5 IN Terry, a small min
ing town in the Black Hills of
South Dakota. When he was
six, his father, Ernest, an engi-
neer, miner and farmer. took
the family to Florida's Ever
glades country where he was
manager of a sugar company's
experimental plantation. The
venture failed, but the elder
Graham acquired land that
later was worth a fortune as
nearby Miami doomed.
A skinny youth with the nick
name "Musclebound," Philip
Graham was an eager student.
He was graduated from high
school at 16, judged "wittiest"
by his classmates and elected
class president. AT the Univer-
ity of Florida, he roomed with
future Senator George Smath-
ers. He interrupted his college
career to drive a milk truck on
his fathers dairy farm for a
year and received his bache-
lors degree from the university
in 1896.
From Florida, Mr.. Graham
went on to Harvard Law
School, where he won the high
IIy priced editorship of the
Harvard Law Review and was
graduated 10th in a class Of
400. Through the good offices
of Supreme Court Justice Felix
Frankfurter, the New Deals
top talent scout" who had
been one of his law school pro-
fessors, Mr.. Graham became
law clerk to Justice Stanley
Reed upon graduation in 1899.
The following year he became
Justice Frankfurter's law clerk.
Met Miss Meyer
When he arrived in WASH
ington, Mr.. Graham moved in
with a group Of young bache-
lors living in Hockey Hall, an
Arlington mansion. He was in
cluded in a blanket invitation
of Hockey Hall residents to q
coming-out party for Ruth
Meyer at the Eugene Meyer
home on Crescent place, and 1t
was there he met the publish
er's other daughter, Katharine,
an editorial assistant on the
Post. They were married in
June, 1910.
In 1871, Mr.. Graham joined
the General Counsel's office
of the Lend-Lease Administra-
ton in the office for Emer-
gency Management. He won
praise for cutting through de-
tense procurement red tape
with characteristic energy.
In July, 1912, he enlisted in
the Army Air Force as a pri-
vate, was commissioned in 1943
and became an intelligence Of
ficer on the staff of Gen.
George C. Kenney, chief of the
Far Eastern Air Command. He
was discharged in 1945 as a
major and was awarded the
Legion Of Merit.
Mr.. Graham repeatedly con-
sidered going into politics in
Florida, but when his father
in-law offered him the chance
to take over at the Post, he
accepted. Named associate pub
Usher in January. 1916, Mr..
Graham became publisher six
months later when Mr.. Meyer
took the post Of board chair
man.
In 1854 the Post bought the
Times Herald from Col. Robert
Mccormick and acquired a
m opoly in Washington's
morning newspaper field.
Under Mr.. Graham's leader
ship, the Post also bought RADIO
televiSion station WTOP in
Washington and WJxT-Tv in
Jacksonville, Fla, and built the
Posts new So million building
on L street NV.
Pooled Foreign News
In 1861, Mr.. Graham outbid
other interested parties and
bought the Vincent Astor Foun-
dation's controlling stock in
Newsweek magazine for So
985, 900.
Last year, the Post and the
Los Angeles Times pooled their
foreign, national and regional
coverage to form the Los An
geles Times Washington Post
News Service. The syndicate af-
filiated last November with the
London Observer, the London
Sunday Times and the Man
chester Guardian.
Also. last wear the Post ac-