Biographical Sketch of Robert Graham

Born: Liverpool, England, August 14, 1822.
Died: January 20, 1901.
THIS distinguished preacher and teacher was born in Liverpool, England, on the 14th of August, 1822. The parents were rigid Episcopalians, and the son was, consequently, brought up in the communion of the Established Church. When only fourteen years of age, during a protracted meeting among the Methodist Protestants of Alleghany City, Penn., he was deeply impressed with the importance of religion, and was led to doubt the correctness of the position he occupied in the Episcopal Church. Although failing to experience the miraculous change, which at that time was a popular evidence of conversion, he was, nevertheless, received on probation, and finally into full membership in the Methodist Protestant Church. He was now conscious of a great change in his views, feelings, and conduct, but he was still unsatisfied with reference to his religious state. There were many passages of Scripture he could not harmonize with the teachings of the Church to which he belonged.

In the fall of 1838 he made the acquaintance of the congregation of Disciples in Alleghany City, Penn., and was thus brought to review the grounds of his religious belief. This examination led to his immersion, on the 17th of February, 1839, by Elder SAMUEL CHURCH, then pastor of the Christian Church in Alleghany City.

At the time he united with the Disciples he was an apprentice for five years, " learning the art and mystery of house-carpentry," in the city of Pittsburgh, and, of course, had very little time to devote to literary pursuits. Nevertheless, he collected quite a library of useful and entertaining books, and devoted all his spare hours to the acquisition of knowledge; and having joined a literary society, made considerable progress in the study of history, Belles-Lettres, Biblical Criticism, Natural Science, etc.

On the 1st of January, 1843, he entered Bethany College, and, in the following year, began to preach for the church at Dutch Fork, seven miles from Bethany, and continued to labor there on Lord's days for three years. By the sale of his library, carpenters' tools, the small salary received for preaching, and occasional help from President CAMPBELL, he was enabled to support himself at college. He subsequently returned all the means Mr. CAMPBELL advanced, with interest on the same from date. While a student at Bethany, he was married to Miss MARIA THORNLEY, of Alleghany City, Penn.

He graduated in July, 1847, dividing the first honors of his class with A. R. BENTON, and delivering the Latin salutatory. In December of the same year he entered upon a collecting tour for Mr. CAMPBELL, and spent nine months in traveling through several of the South-western States. It was during this tour that he co-operated with JOHN T. JOHNSON, in a protracted meeting of great interest, at Fayetteville, Arkansas, which resulted in the establishment of a fine church in that place, to the pastoral care of which he was soon afterward called. He removed to Fayetteville with his family in January, 1849. Here he finally succeeded in establishing Arkansas College, an institution which flourished till the war broke out, in 1861.

In September, 1859, he left Arkansas for Harrodsburg, Kentucky, to take charge of the Chair of Belles-Lettres and History in Kentucky University, to which he had been unanimously elected. He held this position one year, during which time he gave great satisfaction to the friends of the University. He was induced to resign his professorship in 1860, and return to Fayetteville, with the view of becoming the General Agent of the Southern Christian Missionary Society. But the war breaking out, the whole arrangement failed, and, in the fall of 1862, he took charge of the First Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he labored with great acceptance till 1864, when he resigned and removed to Santa Rosa, California, and preached for the church, and taught an academy at that place, one year. He then spent one year in San Francisco, and succeeded in establishing a promising church in that city. In January, 1866, he was elected Presiding Officer of the College of Arts, and Professor of the School of English Language and Literature, in Kentucky University. He accepted, and entered upon his work in the following October, which position he now occupies.

ROBERT GRAHAM has a finely-balanced organization--there being perfect harmony between the intellectual and physical natures. He is of low stature, but heavy-set, and weighs about one hundred and eighty pounds. He has a bright, florid complexion, large, light-blue eyes, and an orator's mouth. He is a ready extemporaneous speaker, and, on a great occasion, is capable of exercising wonderful power over an audience. He possesses a strong, active, sympathetic nature, and this gives him great influence in the social circle. Few men have more ability to control the masses, but this is never attempted at a sacrifice of dignity, or any characteristic of a Christian gentleman.