Billy Graham Jr. Statue

North Carolina gave this statue to the National Statuary Hall Collection in 2024.

A middle-aged Graham leans slightly forward on his left foot with his torso turned and head cocked, a posture that Artist Chas Fagan saw in film and photographs of Graham preaching. He holds a soft-covered open Bible in his left hand and gestures toward it with the upturned palm of his right hand, a more subtle invitation than a pointed finger. The heading on the pages is "Galatians," which reflects the material Graham was studying toward the end of his life.

Graham always wore a suit and tie for public appearances, a perennial uniform that gives the statue a more timeless appearance. A tall, lanky figure, the fabric gathers around his bent elbows and drapes toward his ankles. Polka dots subtly enliven the tie, and the pocket square is based on those in photographs of Graham.

Additional elements amplifying the narrative rest on the compact self-base. A medallion depicts Graham's wife Ruth in profile, referencing her lifelong support of his work and their marriage of more than 60 years. The papers are flyers for Graham's 1949 "Crusade" in Los Angeles, California. Crusades were Graham's revival meetings, which sometimes lasted for weeks in one city; he first came to national prominence during the Los Angeles series, when both William Randolph Hearst's and Henry Luce's publications provided positive press that increased attendance. Graham founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1950. The organization oversaw the production of hundreds of Crusades in the United States and around the world, and it supported Graham's work as he embraced varied media to reach new audiences. The rallies were Graham's opportunity to reach the most people in person, directly employing his charisma to communicate his ideas.

In his early preaching, Graham linked Christianity with Cold War patriotism and anticommunism, a position that contributed to his growing popularity. He demonstrated some support for civil rights, including occasions when he insisted on integrating his audiences, but he did not support civil disobedience tactics such as marches and sit-ins.

During the decades he was prominent, Graham pursued associations with powerful political figures, including many presidents. Over the course of his life, many organizations and institutions recognized Graham. Honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1983), the Congressional Gold Medal (1996) with his wife Ruth, and an honorary knighthood (KBE, 2001) for his contribution to civic and religious life.

The statue was cast at Carolina Bronze Sculpture in North Carolina. The pink granite used in the elegant pedestal with tapered corners was quarried in Salisbury, North Carolina. Together, the statue and pedestal are nearly 11 feet tall. A plaque on the back includes information about the statue's commissioning, and there are inscriptions on three sides.

Front:

BILLY
GRAHAM
NORTH CAROLINA

Proper left side:

JESUS SAID TO HIM
I AM THE WAY
THE TRUTH
AND THE LIFE
NO ONE COMES
TO THE FATHER
EXCEPT
THROUGH ME
JOHN 14:6

Proper right side:

FOR GOD SO LOVED
THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE HIS
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
THAT WHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM
SHOULD NOT PERISH
BUT HAVE
EVERLASTING LIFE
JOHN 3:16

The statue of Graham was unveiled in National Statuary Hall on May 16, 2024, and relocated to the Crypt.

Artist

Chas Fagan (1966- ) is a self-taught artist who started drawing while growing up in Belgium and Pennsylvania. While studying at Yale University, he began drawing political cartoons; that work became a job in magazine illustration after he completed his degree in Soviet studies. Fagan then shifted to painting and, from there, into sculpture. Fagan sculpts in bronze and works with carvers to complete stone commissions, and he continues to paint. Fagan has several artworks in collections in the U.S. Capitol complex, including a statue of President Ronald Reagan (given by California, 2009) and two portraits of committee chairmen in the House Office Buildings. He has sculpted statues for the Washington National Cathedral and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Monument in Houston, Texas. Fagan has also painted official portraits for the White House and the Vatican. He served a term on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in 2021.

Many of Fagan's projects reflect his interest in history, and most of his pieces are figurative. When working on a portrait, he conducts research to get to know the subject. For this statue, Fagan had access to film of Graham preaching over many decades, which emphasized how much Graham moved while on stage and suggested the posture leaning forward on the left leg. Fagan is also concerned with an artwork's connection to its setting. To demonstrate the completed statue during the early stages of the process, Fagan created a small painting showing it in the Capitol Crypt.