A popular critic of the Iraq War who rose to fame and landed on Capitol Hill as a Senator, Bob Graham passed away, after being disabled by a stroke in May 2020, reported the New York Times Wednesday.
In a statement on X, former Twitter, daughter Gwen Graham wrote: “We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a visionary leader, dedicated public servant, and even more importantly, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.”
The 87-year-old was the two-time former governor of Florida and also served as the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after the deadly attacks of September 11, 2001, also known as 9/11.
Bob Graham was elected governor in 1978 and then re-elected in 1982.
The former governor served three terms in the US Senate and also bid for the Democrat nomination for the presidency in 2003, vehemently criticising the American invasion of Iraq based on flawed intelligence.
He could never get enough support as he was hindered by his heart surgery.
The former Senator worked in different fields from horse stall mucker to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. He also kept a diary in which he noted almost everyone he spoke with, everything he ate, the TV shows he watched, and his golf scores.
Graham taught for a year at Harvard after leaving the Senate, and later established the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida for policymakers and scholars to train students for leadership roles.
He also authored “America, The Owner’s Manual: Making Government Work for You”, a primer on effective participation in democracy.
