Robert Graham

Robert (Bob) Graham graduated from Earlham as a member of its Class of 1965. Bob ran cross country at the College while majoring in psychology and taking a minor in English. After graduating with an M.D. from the University of Kansas in 1970, he became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, serving a total of 18 years during three tours of duty over the next 30 years. During this time he was deputy director of the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research and the first administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, during which time he held the ranks of rear admiral and assistant surgeon general. He has long been associated with the medical specialty of family medicine, serving as the CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians from 1985-2000, and as an endowed professor of family medicine at the University of Cincinnati from 2005-2013. Throughout his career, Bob has written and spoken extensively about a number of critical topics in health policy, such as health care reform and the need for universal coverage, health workforce policy, and the organizational characteristics of effective health care systems. His contributions and expertise were recognized in 1990 with his election to the National Academy of Medicine (a section of the National Academy of Sciences). His current work focuses on elements of effective leadership, the development of high-performance organizations, and practice transformation in primary care. In addition to his membership on Earlham’s Board of Trustees in 2016, he also serves as a faculty member to the fellowship programs of the American Council of Education and the National Academy of Medicine. Bob’s Earlham ties include being a member of the EC Athletic Hall of Fame (as a member of the 1963 cross country team), and a recipient of the 2003 Outstanding Alumni Award. Bob was married to Jane Henney (Manchester ’69) in June of 1975, under the tree outside of the Meeting House. They currently reside in Kansas City, Missouri.