Education
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Graves graduated from Rockford High School before enrolling at the University of Illinois.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Graves graduated from Rockford High School before enrolling at the University of Illinois.
In later life, he owned lumber companies. Graves was a speedy, 148-pound end while starting for the Illini football team in 1914. In 1914, Graves and teammates Harold Pogue and Ralph Chapman became the first University of Illinois football players to be selected as first-team All-Americans.
Graves was selected as a first-team All-American by Frank G. Menke, sporting editor of the International News Service.
After graduating from the University of Illinois, he worked as a lumber salesman for nine years. He moved to Robinson, Illinois, in 1925 and became a partner in the Otey Lumber Company.
Graves acquired the Palestine Lumber Company and the Oblong Lumber Company and established the Hutsonville Lumber Company He also officiated Big Ten football games for 22 years.
White was married to Marvel White.
Their son, Perry Graves, Junior., received Silver Stars for his service in both World World War II and the Korean War. Their other three sons, Dean, Parker and Howard also served in World World War World War II Their sons Hank and John Graves managed the lumber company until John sold the business and retired in Henderson, North Carolina. Son Howard used the GI bill to go to college and finally joined the news-gathering service, Associated Press.
He retired as a bureau chief in Honolulu, Hawaii, after stints in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Portland, Oregon; Albuquerque, New Mexico and then again in Portland, Oregon. Through his career he was the national president of the Society of Professional Journalist, Sigma Delta Chi, a journalistic ethics association.
He was nominated for a Pulitzer prize for his coverage of corruption on the Navajo nation. He also has a granddaughter, Kate Graves who lives in Edmonds, Washington.
Perry Graves retired from the lumber business in 1955 and continued to live in Robinson, Illinois.
Graves died in January 1979 at age 89. At the time of his death, he was the second oldest living All-American (Hamilton Fish III was the oldest).
He served as President of the Robinson Chamber of Commerce and was a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Moose, Elks and Masons.
