GRAHAM RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND
May 25, 2001
William B. Graham, of Irvington, has been awarded an honorary doctor of commercial science degree by the University of Richmond. The university honored Graham on May 13 at its 171st commencement exercises.
Graham is a 1943 graduate of the university and also attended Hampden-Sydney College from 1939-41.
He has served on the University of Richmond Board of Trustees since 1973 and was a recipient of the Trustees' Distinguished Service Award in 1989. In 1983, the University of Richmond National Alumni Council honored Graham for his service to the university.
Graham got his start in the insurance industry in 1946 when he joined Mutual Insurance. He was named president of the firm in 1962 and sold the company to Richmond Corp. in 1969. He was named president of Insurance Management Corp., a subsidiary of Richmond Corp. in 1971.
Five years later, The Continental Group bought Richmond Corp., and Graham continued as president of Insurance Management and also became senior vice president of The Continental Financial Services. Graham recently retired as president of The Consulting Company, a firm he created in 1983 after retiring from Continental.
Graham is a director of Northern Neck Insurance Co, Keystone Insurance Co, American Automobile Association, Virginia Baptist Homes Inc and Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury Foundation.
He received the Liberty Bell Award from the Northern Neck Bar Association in 1997 and the Distinguished Citizens Award from the Boy Scouts of America--Robert E. Lee Council in 1996.
He and his wife, the former Mary Alderson and also a graduate of the university, have three sons.