By Michael Wynne
William Franklin “Billy” Graham (1918 – 2018) was an evangelist, a prominent evangelical Christian figure, and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well-known internationally in the late 1940s. One of his biographers has placed him “among the most influential Christian leaders” of the 20th century.
In the April 18, 1951 edition of the Alexandria Town Talk edition, front page, Reverend Billy Graham is first mentioned as coming to Pineville to preach:
7,000 To Hear Billy Graham In Pineville
Billy Graham, America’s most famous young Evangelist, presently engaged a city wide revival meeting in Shreveport, will visit the campus of Louisiana College April 25 (1951). Dr. M. E. Dodd, pastor emeritus of the First Baptist Church of Shreveport, his chorus director, his pianist, and his soloist will accompany Graham for a special revival service at 10:30 A.M. and closing at approximately 12:15 P.M.
This service will be held, the weather permitting, on the athletic field at Louisiana College with preparations made for more than 7,000 people to hear this great preacher. Traffic police and special ushers will direct and arrange the crowd so they can hear the evangelist.
President Godbold, of the college, has sent special invitations out to approximately 400 pastors of evangelical churches within 60 miles of Louisiana College urging them to announce to their people the coming of Graham and to urge them to bring as many as possible to hear this world-famous preacher. Practically every business house in Pineville will be closed that day from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. in order to give the people an opportunity to attend this worship service.
All denominations of faiths will be represented in the enormous assembly on Alumni Memorial Field. Special arrangements will be made to take care of a large group of colored people in a reserved section of the park. Amplifiers will be installed so that every person on the athletic field can hear the preacher’s sermon.
Mayors’ W. E. Kees of Pineville and Carl B. Close of Alexandria have declared Wednesday, April 25 to be Billy Graham Day in their respective municipalities and have called on the people to observe this day in a fitting manner.
If the weather forbids holding the meeting on the Alumni Memorial Field, Dr. Graham will preach in the college auditorium with loud speakers installed so that those who sit in their cars around campus can hear him speak. The public is cordially and urgently invited to observe April 25 as Billy Graham Day in a manner that befits the occasion, most fittingly by hearing this internationally recognized minister of the Gospel preach, Dr. Godbold said.
In the April 23rd edition, Louisiana College bought a whole page promoting Graham’s preaching. The elegant ad reprinted much of what was said in the April 18th article, but also showed photographs of all of those involved and reproduced the mayoral proclamations. Also on the same date on page one, 10,000 people were now predicted to come hear Graham speak.
Simon Woodson Tudor (1886-1956), Chairman of the La. College Board of Trustees, spoke about Graham’s upcoming visit. He said among other things, “I found the young evangelist highly interested in Louisiana College….Dr. Graham asked many questions about the college. He will come to Alexandria and Pineville in Judge Hendrick’s car….” Mr. Tudor predicted over 10,000 people to attend.
In the April 25th front page, post event coverage edition, over 10,000 people attended the talk on the athletic field. More than 500 people met in a separate part of the field to formally “accept Christ” and each received a Bible and a special prayer. The crowd overflowed onto the field and surrounding hillsides to hear Graham. Many people could not attend so the sermon was re-broadcasted that night on a local radio station.
Graham’s speech was wide-ranging: from spiritual needs to communism to science (“bringing us to the brink of destruction”) to the “Korean problem” (the Korean conflict). He complimented local Congressman A. Leonard Allen’s efforts against communism as well as MacArthur. At the end of his preaching, Graham went to the north end of the athletic field where “hundreds thronged to meet him and talk with him”. His speech was covered in great detail in the April 25th edition.
In the May 18th edition of the Town Talk, board chairman Simon Tudor recommended that Graham be selected to become the next president of La. College. Graham’s name was formally presented to the board on May 22nd as Dr. Godbold’s successor. Graham turned down the offer and Dr. G. Earl Guinn was later selected. Graham went on to lead the nation as “America’s Minister”.
