RALEIGH (AP) ó Friends and colleagues of North Carolina’s longest-serving agriculture commissioner remembered Jim Graham for his laughter and commitment to farmers.
Hundreds of people gathered in Raleigh on Thursday as the Rowan County native was inducted into the state’s Agricultural Hall of Fame on the fifth anniversary of his death.
Affectionally known as “The Sodfather,” Graham served as commissioner from 1964 to 2001 and led the state through its evolution away from tobacco to hog, chicken and Christmas tree production.
Current Commissioner Steve Troxler and former Attorney General Rufus Edmisten were the headline speakers at the invitation-only event. Edmisten told stories about their political journeys together, while Troxler praised him for improving the lives of countless North Carolina residents.
Graham won his first election as commissioner in November 1964 and was re-elected eight times.
Graham grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Cleveland High School in 1938 and North Carolina State College (N.C. State University) in 1942.
Graham died Nov. 20, 2003, at the age of 82.