The eldest daughter of evangelist Billy Graham will be in Cleveland on Friday to officially dedicate Billy Graham Avenue in historic downtown Cleveland.

Mayor Tom Rowland said the event will celebrate Dr. Graham's time in Cleveland when he attended college, preached his first sermons and worked in a local shoe store - all preceding his decades of evangelism around the world.

An invitation-only luncheon begins at noon at Lee University at the corner of Billy Graham Avenue and North Ocoee in the new science building with Virginia "Gigi" Graham as guest speaker.

The history of Billy Graham's time in Cleveland will be spotlighted with music by Voices of Lee. 
 
Immediately following the luncheon at approximately 1:30 p.m., an official ribbon cutting will be staged on the street. The ribbon cutting is open to the public. 

Rep. Kevin Brooks introduced a resolution proclaiming Billy Graham Day on Feb. 24.

WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the members of this legislative body should honor those individuals who have answered a divine call to the ministry and who have served with dedication, vigor, and enthusiasm to perform God’s work for their congregations and their communities; and

WHEREAS, William Franklin Graham, Jr., is one such stalwart servant of the Lord who has devoted his entire career to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the globe; and

WHEREAS, William Franklin Graham, affectionately known as “Billy Graham,” was born on November 7, 1918, on a farm near Charlotte, North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Graham attended Bob Jones College (now Lee University) in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1936, and it was the great honor and privilege of Lee alumnus and State Representative Kevin Brooks to reside in the same dormitory, now known as Medlin Hall, as Mr. Graham; and

WHEREAS, Billy Graham served with acumen and alacrity a young shoe salesman in downtown Cleveland and faithfully attended the First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland; and

WHEREAS, standing as a shining example of Christ’s love and forgiveness, Mr. Graham reportedly preached his first sermon as a nineteen-year-old student at the Methodist Church in Charleston, Tennessee, and his second at the Antioch Baptist Church in Southern Bradley County; and

WHEREAS, possessing an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a heart for God, Billy Graham received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College and was ordained a Southern Baptist Minister in 1939; and 

WHEREAS, throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Graham has only blessed one congregation, the First Baptist Church in Western Springs, Illinois, with his pastoral leadership; and

WHEREAS, known in the early days as a “Tent Preacher,” he held his first massive revival in Los Angeles, and soon thereafter entered into a lifelong friendship and working relationship with George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Graham’s popular radio program, “The Hour of Decision,” was on the air for fifty years, garnering a listenership of several million people; and

WHEREAS, highly respected for his spiritual insights and clear understanding of scripture, Mr. Graham has graciously counseled and prayed with every president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama; and 

WHEREAS, this deeply spiritual man and his worldwide crusades have converted millions of souls to Christ and inspired countless Christians to join the ministry as pastors and evangelists; and

WHEREAS, throughout his estimable career as a religious leader and humble servant of God, Billy Graham has demonstrated the utmost ability and integrity, winning the unbridled respect and admiration of his friends, his family, and the plethora of people who accepted Jesus as their personal savior as result of his ministry; now, therefore,

I, Beth Harwell, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred Seventh General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, at the request of and in conjunction with Representative Kevin Brooks, do hereby proclaim that we join with the good people from Cleveland and Bradley County in celebrating “Billy Graham Day” on February 24, 2012, honoring his lifelong ministry and his unwavering devotion to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

            Proclaimed in Nashville, Tennessee on this the 13th day of February, 2012.