<p>Gainesville, Fla. A major gift to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida will give the university greater opportunities to produce future public policymakers in Florida and on the national scene.</p>
<p>Retired U.S. senator and former Florida governor Bob Graham, his brother William A. Graham and the Philip L. Graham Fund joined to give $1.5 million to the Graham Center. The donation will establish the Philip L. Graham Program Fund to provide support for graduate and undergraduate programs in public leadership. The fund will also support research, teaching and the advancement of civic education at all educational levels in Florida through programs at the Graham Center. </p>
<p>We have an opportunity and an obligation to provide the foundation for ethical and well-prepared civic and public leaders, said Bob Graham, a 1959 UF political science graduate. The Graham Center, and this newly established fund, will be a catalyst from which the University of Florida can do so.</p>
<p>Bob Graham, a 1962 Harvard Law School graduate, served as governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, where he served three consecutive terms representing Florida. During his last term, he was appointed chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.</p>
<p>The Graham Center seeks solutions to public problems in the areas of public leadership, the Americas and homeland security. The center will address these issues by giving students opportunities to train for future leadership positions, to meet with current policymakers and to take courses in critical thinking, language and world cultures. These opportunities will allow students to confront issues that are important for the advancement of Florida and the nation. </p>
<p>The Graham Center will be housed in Pugh Hall, which is in the final stages of construction in the heart of the historic district of the UF campus. The 40,000-square-foot facility will also be home to several humanities programs. The building will be dedicated in a ceremony on Feb. 9, 2008, followed by the inauguration of the Graham Center on March 4 and 5. </p>