Rev. Billy Graham – A legacy preserved at the U.S. Capitol

February 12, 2025


In May of 2024, a statue of the late Rev. Billy Graham was dedicated and installed in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Yet, the journey of the statue was many years in the making.

From Idea to Installation: A Brief Timeline

2013: North Carolina’s legislature voted to name Billy Graham as the state’s Favorite Son.

2015: Then-Gov. Pat McCrory (NC) signed a law (HB 540) that decreed the Favorite Son should have a statue in Statuary Hall. It stated that at Mr. Graham’s death, they would begin the process to create and install a statue of Billy Graham within the U.S. Capitol building.

2018: After Mr. Graham’s homegoing on Feb. 21, 2018, then-Gov. Roy Cooper (NC) sent a letter of intent to Congress and a commission was formed, which began to consider how the statue would reflect Mr. Graham’s life.

2018: A national search sculptor was conducted, but it was a North Carolina artist, Chas Fagan, who was selected. Fagan had sculpted Ronald Reagan’s statue, which also appears in Statuary Hall.

2024: The 7-foot statue of Rev. Billy Graham was unveiled and dedicated at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and was subsequently moved to its final installation place in the Crypt, which is just below the Rotunda where every public tour in the Capitol begins.

‘A Truly Historic Moment’

The statue, created by Charlotte-based artist Chas Fagan, depicts Rev. Graham pointing to an open Bible.

During the dedication ceremony, Speaker Mike Johnson called the addition of this statue “a truly historic moment” as Billy Graham joined Rosa Parks, President Gerald Ford, and President Ronald Reagan as the only people in history to receive all three highest honors from Congress: the Congressional Gold Medal (1996), to have lain in honor or state in the Capitol (2018), and have a statue in the Statuary Hall Collection (2024).

Speaker Mike Johnson at the Billy Graham statue unveiling on May 16, 2024

Johnson concluded the ceremony by reading from one of Mr. Graham’s study Bibles, the very passage displayed on statue’s open bronze Bible.

“Millions of people will walk by [the statue] and read John 14:6 and John 3:16,” Johnson said. “What a story to tell as we bring school kids through and university students and constituents, they’ll stop right here. And at the base of the foundation those two verses will be shared broadly. …

“In his left hand he holds an open Bible. And with right hand, he’s inviting all those to read. It’s open to Galatians 6:14,” Johnson said as he described the statue. Then he turned to the copy of God’s Word used by Billy Graham:

“The page is well-marked. The verse is underlined in red: ‘But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.’”

The open Bible featured as part of the statue of Billy Graham at the U.S. Capitol

Hear From the Artist on Feb. 17

Chas Fagan spent many hours researching Rev. Graham through photos and video. On Monday, Feb. 17, Fagan will be at the Billy Graham Library presenting more about the process he went through to sculpt the statue of Billy Graham. The event is free, but registration is required. Reserve your spot.

You can learn more about Mr. Fagan and how to see the statue at the Architect of the Capitol website.

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