Donald E. Graham
Encyclopedia
Donald E. Graham is chief executive officer
and Chairman
of The Washington Post Company. He is also the director and chairman of Facebook Inc.
(née Meyer), later a publisher of The Washington Post, and her husband, Philip Graham.
Graham graduated from St. Albans School
and then attended Harvard College
. In 1965, he was elected president of The Harvard Crimson
, the college's breakfast daily. After graduation in 1966, he volunteered for military service and served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. There "he worked as an information specialist with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968."
From January 1969 to June 1970, Graham joined the Washington Metropolitan Police Department as a patrolman and was sent to the Ninth Precinct in Northeast Washington.
, Graham's maternal grandfather, bought The Washington Post
at a bankruptcy sale in 1933. Graham's father was publisher of The Washington Post from 1946 until 1961 and president of the Washington Post Company from 1947 until his death in 1963. Graham's mother, Katharine, was the head of The Washington Post newspaper for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that helped bring down President Richard Nixon
. She has been widely described as one of the most powerful American women of the 20th century.
In 1971, Graham joined The Washington Post
as a reporter, and went on to hold various news and business positions at the Post and Newsweek
(until 2010, owned by The Washington Post Company).
He was elected to the board of the company in September 1974 and was made executive vice president and general manager of the Post in 1976. Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1979, succeeding his mother, who retained her corporate positions of chairman of the board and CEO of The Washington Post Company. The Company owns the newspaper, as well as the educational services provider Kaplan, Inc.
, Post-Newsweek Stations, Cable One, Slate magazine, and other smaller companies. Donald Graham became CEO in 1991 and chairman of the company in May 1993, while Katharine Graham assumed the position of chairman of the executive committee of the Washington Post Company.
In 1994, Graham was responsible for “a heavy blow to the newspaper’s credibility” (WaPo ombudsman
on October 9, 1994), when he successfully lobbied Senator John Danforth
for a special provision, favoring Washington Post Co.'s cell phone holdings, in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT) treaty. A Washington Post editorial had described the treaty as including "no surprises,", igniting heavy criticism from rival companies. The Washington Post had to apologize and Graham later said about the affair: “In hindsight, there should have been an editorial that mentioned this provision in the GATT treaty. We clearly should have done that.” He also offered an insight into the difficult balance between the interests of the newspaper and that of the holding company: “We run a business and make no apologies for the fact that we try to run it well.”
In September 2000, Graham was elected chairman of the newspaper and passed the position of publisher to Boisfeuillet Jones, Jr.
Board. He is president of the District of Columbia College Access Program and a trustee of the Federal City Council in Washington, D.C. Graham is a member of the board of directors of The Summit Fund of Washington. He is a member of Facebook
's board of directors.
He is also an invitee of the Bilderberg Group
and attended conference meetings in Greece 2009, and Spain 2010.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
and Chairman
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
of The Washington Post Company. He is also the director and chairman of Facebook Inc.
Early life
Donald Edward Graham was born on April 22, 1945. His parents were Katharine GrahamKatharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham was an American publisher. She led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon...
(née Meyer), later a publisher of The Washington Post, and her husband, Philip Graham.
Graham graduated from St. Albans School
St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
and then attended Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
. In 1965, he was elected president of The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...
, the college's breakfast daily. After graduation in 1966, he volunteered for military service and served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. There "he worked as an information specialist with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968."
From January 1969 to June 1970, Graham joined the Washington Metropolitan Police Department as a patrolman and was sent to the Ninth Precinct in Northeast Washington.
Family
In 2007 Graham announced his separation from his wife of 40 years, the former Mary Wissler. The Grahams have four grown children. His daughter Laura Graham works as the head of business development at Slate.com, and his son Will Graham is the executive producer of The Onion.The Post
Eugene MeyerEugene Meyer
Eugene Isaac Meyer was an American financier, public official, publisher of the Washington Post newspaper. He served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1930 to 1933. He was the father of publisher Katharine Graham.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, he was one of eight children of...
, Graham's maternal grandfather, bought The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
at a bankruptcy sale in 1933. Graham's father was publisher of The Washington Post from 1946 until 1961 and president of the Washington Post Company from 1947 until his death in 1963. Graham's mother, Katharine, was the head of The Washington Post newspaper for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that helped bring down President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. She has been widely described as one of the most powerful American women of the 20th century.
In 1971, Graham joined The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
as a reporter, and went on to hold various news and business positions at the Post and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
(until 2010, owned by The Washington Post Company).
He was elected to the board of the company in September 1974 and was made executive vice president and general manager of the Post in 1976. Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1979, succeeding his mother, who retained her corporate positions of chairman of the board and CEO of The Washington Post Company. The Company owns the newspaper, as well as the educational services provider Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. is a for-profit corporation headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan. Kaplan provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and other services for various levels of education...
, Post-Newsweek Stations, Cable One, Slate magazine, and other smaller companies. Donald Graham became CEO in 1991 and chairman of the company in May 1993, while Katharine Graham assumed the position of chairman of the executive committee of the Washington Post Company.
In 1994, Graham was responsible for “a heavy blow to the newspaper’s credibility” (WaPo ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
on October 9, 1994), when he successfully lobbied Senator John Danforth
John Danforth
John Claggett "Jack" Danforth is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican United States Senator from Missouri. He is an ordained Episcopal priest. Danforth is married to Sally D. Danforth and has five adult children.-Education and early career:Danforth was born...
for a special provision, favoring Washington Post Co.'s cell phone holdings, in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
(GATT) treaty. A Washington Post editorial had described the treaty as including "no surprises,", igniting heavy criticism from rival companies. The Washington Post had to apologize and Graham later said about the affair: “In hindsight, there should have been an editorial that mentioned this provision in the GATT treaty. We clearly should have done that.” He also offered an insight into the difficult balance between the interests of the newspaper and that of the holding company: “We run a business and make no apologies for the fact that we try to run it well.”
In September 2000, Graham was elected chairman of the newspaper and passed the position of publisher to Boisfeuillet Jones, Jr.
Boisfeuillet Jones, Jr.
Boisfeuillet Jones, Jr. is Vice Chairman of the Washington Post Company. From 2000 to 2008 he was publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post.-Early life:...
Other roles
Graham also serves as a member of the Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
Board. He is president of the District of Columbia College Access Program and a trustee of the Federal City Council in Washington, D.C. Graham is a member of the board of directors of The Summit Fund of Washington. He is a member of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
's board of directors.
He is also an invitee of the Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
and attended conference meetings in Greece 2009, and Spain 2010.