Bob Graham and his wife, Lloydine, hold up their wedding photo at their home earlier this spring. (Photo courtesy of Laura Mott) 

The Legacy Project’s latest offering, a profile and oral history on former seven-term State Auditor Bob Graham, is now available on its web site.

Graham died on April 16 at his Olympia home, four days after his 93rd birthday and just two weeks after his last interview with John C. Hughes, chief historian for The Legacy Project. During World II, Graham was a flight engineer with the Army Air Transport Command in the Pacific Theater. His life story—punctuated with remarkable twists of fate—is part of a series spotlighting Washington State’s World War II veterans. Next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.

“Bob’s brain was nimble almost to the end,” Hughes says. “He was a remarkable blend of old-shoe gentleman and sophisticated public servant. His passing underscores the urgency of compiling these oral histories.”

Secretary of State Kim Wyman says Hughes’ profile on Graham is definitely worth reading:

“Bob Graham was one of the longest-serving statewide officials in Washington history, and he left his mark as a state auditor. As usual, John has done an outstanding job of spotlighting Bob’s noteworthy life and career in public service.”

The grandson of Scottish immigrants, Graham grew up on a dairy farm at Copalis Crossing in Grays Harbor County. He was a standout student and athlete at Moclips High School and student body president at the fledgling Grays Harbor Junior College in Aberdeen. In 1941, Graham headed a team of student lobbyists from around the state who helped ensure passage of the first-ever state aid package for the two-year schools.

Graham was first elected as state auditor in 1964 and served 28 years in that office until retiring in 1993. During his time there, Graham pushed for performance audits, despite opposition of legislators.

“During my years we brought the office into the modern era, and I put together a great team,” he told Hughes. “We were hardnosed about the law but fair and honest. … That’s the thing I’m most proud of. We also had fraud investigation courses. We received national awards for our accounting department. I always said that we were the ‘Largest CPA firm in the state.’ The federal General Accounting Office said our agency was one of the top 10 government accounting offices in the United States.”

Graham is survived by his wife of nearly 69 years, Lloydine, five children, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. His funeral is set for April 25 in Olympia.