Adele Khoury Graham
Encyclopedia
Adele Khoury Graham is a Lebanese-American educator and the wife of former Florida governor and senator Bob Graham
.
Adele Graham was the First Lady of the state of Florida
from 1979 to 1987. She spent her career as public school teacher in Massachusetts
and Miami, Florida
. In all, she had four children with her husband. As of 2007, they have 11 grandchildren.
Adele Khoury Graham was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Her parents both moved to Florida in the l920s. Her mother came from Ohio. Her father was born in Beirut, Lebanon and spent his younger years, after immigrating, in Georgia.
While at the University of Florida, she became engaged to Bob Graham. They married during her junior year and Bob's senior year. Then they moved to Boston, where Bob attended Harvard Law School and Adele graduated from Boston University. She taught English and history in the public schools in Wellesley, Massachusetts until Bob graduated from law school. In 1962, during her second year of teaching, she was selected as Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.
Returning to Miami, Adele became involved in civic affairs. She served as a board member with Beaux Arts at the Lowe Art Museum, the Board of Public Television, and Channel 2. She also organized a county-wide school volunteer resource guide for the Junior League, among other activities.
The first of the couple's four daughters, Gwen, was born in l963. Cissy followed in 1964. At this time, she began 25 years of service as a school volunteer.
She campaigned with her husband for his election to the Florida House and Florida Senate. During each session of the legislature, the entire family would move to Tallahassee. During the legislative years, Suzanne was born in 1967 and Kendall was born in 1969 in Tallahassee. The two years of campaigning for Governor were busy and productive, and the entire family took part. In l978, Adele's husband was elected as the 38th Governor of Florida and the family moved into the Governor's Mansion.
As First Lady of Florida, she became a leading advocate for the elderly. Her personal experiences with her older parents and their health needs led her to become a lobbyist, which had positive results. Florida began providing home-based services to older Floridians through the Community Care for the Elderly program. The ratings system and standards for nursing homes were improved. Under her leadership, Florida became the first state to license the Hospice program. In l980, Adele served as Honorary Chairperson for the Governor's Conference on Aging and was an official to the l981 White House Conference on Aging.
As an advocate for school volunteerism, she visited all 67 counties in Florida to promote school partnerships. The number of senior volunteers in Florida increased l00 percent.
As project Chairman for the National Association of Partners in Education, she co-authored a book, Finish for the Future, that identifies outstanding private sector initiatives in public schools for dropout prevention.
Adele participated in establishing a dropout prevention partnership program at her alma mater, Miami Edison High School, and successfully raised money to help high school students tutor younger students.
Historic preservation has been among her interests. During the family's tenure in Tallahassee, she restored the Governor's Mansion and added a Florida sunroom to the state home. Along with Mary Call Collins, she helped to save the historic Union Bank, and participated in saving Miami Edison Middle School, which is now registered on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Her husband's public service continued in the United State Senate. During these years, as well as when she was First Lady, Adele served as Vice President of the Florida House, the state's embassy in the nations capitol. She was also an active member of International Neighbor's Club # One in Washington, D.C.
Adele was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctors of Laws from Barry University in recognition of her dedicated service as a wife, mother and educator. In 2005, she was selected "A Woman of Impact" in Greater Miami and the University of Florida honored her as an "Alumnae of Outstanding Achievement."
. In addition, she attended Boston University
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Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
.
Adele Graham was the First Lady of the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
from 1979 to 1987. She spent her career as public school teacher in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. In all, she had four children with her husband. As of 2007, they have 11 grandchildren.
Adele Khoury Graham was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Her parents both moved to Florida in the l920s. Her mother came from Ohio. Her father was born in Beirut, Lebanon and spent his younger years, after immigrating, in Georgia.
While at the University of Florida, she became engaged to Bob Graham. They married during her junior year and Bob's senior year. Then they moved to Boston, where Bob attended Harvard Law School and Adele graduated from Boston University. She taught English and history in the public schools in Wellesley, Massachusetts until Bob graduated from law school. In 1962, during her second year of teaching, she was selected as Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.
Returning to Miami, Adele became involved in civic affairs. She served as a board member with Beaux Arts at the Lowe Art Museum, the Board of Public Television, and Channel 2. She also organized a county-wide school volunteer resource guide for the Junior League, among other activities.
The first of the couple's four daughters, Gwen, was born in l963. Cissy followed in 1964. At this time, she began 25 years of service as a school volunteer.
She campaigned with her husband for his election to the Florida House and Florida Senate. During each session of the legislature, the entire family would move to Tallahassee. During the legislative years, Suzanne was born in 1967 and Kendall was born in 1969 in Tallahassee. The two years of campaigning for Governor were busy and productive, and the entire family took part. In l978, Adele's husband was elected as the 38th Governor of Florida and the family moved into the Governor's Mansion.
As First Lady of Florida, she became a leading advocate for the elderly. Her personal experiences with her older parents and their health needs led her to become a lobbyist, which had positive results. Florida began providing home-based services to older Floridians through the Community Care for the Elderly program. The ratings system and standards for nursing homes were improved. Under her leadership, Florida became the first state to license the Hospice program. In l980, Adele served as Honorary Chairperson for the Governor's Conference on Aging and was an official to the l981 White House Conference on Aging.
As an advocate for school volunteerism, she visited all 67 counties in Florida to promote school partnerships. The number of senior volunteers in Florida increased l00 percent.
As project Chairman for the National Association of Partners in Education, she co-authored a book, Finish for the Future, that identifies outstanding private sector initiatives in public schools for dropout prevention.
Adele participated in establishing a dropout prevention partnership program at her alma mater, Miami Edison High School, and successfully raised money to help high school students tutor younger students.
Historic preservation has been among her interests. During the family's tenure in Tallahassee, she restored the Governor's Mansion and added a Florida sunroom to the state home. Along with Mary Call Collins, she helped to save the historic Union Bank, and participated in saving Miami Edison Middle School, which is now registered on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Her husband's public service continued in the United State Senate. During these years, as well as when she was First Lady, Adele served as Vice President of the Florida House, the state's embassy in the nations capitol. She was also an active member of International Neighbor's Club # One in Washington, D.C.
Adele was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctors of Laws from Barry University in recognition of her dedicated service as a wife, mother and educator. In 2005, she was selected "A Woman of Impact" in Greater Miami and the University of Florida honored her as an "Alumnae of Outstanding Achievement."
Education
Adele Graham attended high school at Miami Edison High School. Adele Graham was educated at the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. In addition, she attended Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
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