5864152 ACR 21-158, Donald Graham Retirement Recognition Resolution of 2016  

  • A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

     

    21-158

     

    IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

     

    January 5, 2016

     

     

    To recognize and honor Donald Graham for his dedication to the field of journalism, his 42 years of service to The Washington Post, his commitment to improving the educational opportunities available to students in the District of Columbia, and the occasion of his retirement from Chief Executive Officer of Graham Holdings.

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham was born on April 22, 1945, in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Philip L. and Katharine Meyer Graham;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham attended St. Albans School in Northwest D.C. before Harvard College, where he graduated in 1966 and served as president of the Harvard Crimson;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham was drafted and served as an information specialist with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968;  

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham served as a patrolman with the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department from January 1969 to June 1970;

    WHEREAS, in 1971, Donald Graham joined The Washington Post newspaper as a reporter and subsequently held several news and business positions at the newspaper and at Newsweek;

    WHEREAS, in 1976, Donald Graham was named executive vice president and general manager of the newspaper;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham was elected a director of The Washington Post Company in 1974 and served as president from May 1991 to September 1993;

    WHEREAS, under Donald Graham’s leadership as publisher, The Washington Post enjoyed tremendous success, remained a beacon of remarkable journalism, and garnered myriad awards, including 3 Worth Bingham Prizes and 20 Pulitzer Prizes;

    WHEREAS, in 2013, Donald E. Graham sold The Washington Post to the Amazon founder, Jeffrey P. Bezos;

      WHEREAS, Donald Graham is lauded for his many philanthropic ventures, many aimed towards advancing the educational goals of disadvantaged children;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham served as chairman of the District of Columbia College Access Program (“DC-CAP”), a private foundation he co-founded in 1999 that has helped double the number of District of Columbia public high school students going on to college and has helped triple the number graduating from college;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham remains a member of the DC-CAP board, and since its inception, DC-CAP has assisted over 23,000 District of Columbia students enroll in college and has provided scholarships totaling more than $33 million;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham has served as a director of Facebook and The Summit Fund of Washington, as well as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board;

    WHEREAS,  Donald Graham is a trustee of the Federal City Council and of the Philip L. Graham Fund, which was established in 1963 in memory of his father;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham serves as a director of the College Success Foundation and KIPP-DC;

    WHEREAS, Donald Graham is a co-founder of TheDream.US, a national scholarship fund for DREAMers, created to help immigrant youth pursue a college education; and

    WHEREAS, in November 2015, Donald Graham stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Graham Holdings, leaving behind a legacy of leadership that spanned over 4 decades. 

    RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Donald Graham Retirement Recognition Resolution of 2016”.

    Sec. 2.  The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Donald Graham for his commitment to the field of journalism, and for his leadership at The Washington Post for more than 40 years. 

    Sec. 3. This resolution shall take into effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.