Perry H. Graves, Sr. was an All-American football player who played end for the University of Illinois from 1913 to 1915. In later life, he owned lumber companies.

Biography

A native of Rockford, Illinois

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...

, Graves graduated from Rockford High School before enrolling at the University of Illinois. He played at the end position on Robert Zuppke

Robert Zuppke

Robert Carl Zuppke was an American football coach. He served the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81–12. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, Zuppke coached his...

's 1914 football team that won the Western Conference

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

 championship and tied Army for the national championship. Graves was a speedy, 148-pound end while starting for the Illini football team in 1914. In 1914, Graves and teammates Harold Pogue

Harold Pogue

Harold Pogue was an American football player and businessman. He played quarterback and halfback for Robert Zuppke's University of Illinois football teams and was selected as a first-team All-American in 1914...

 and Ralph Chapman

Ralph Chapman

Ralph D. "Slouie" Chapman was an American football player. He was the son of P.T. Chapman, a wealthy banker in Vienna, Illinois. He played at the guard position for Bob Zuppke's University of Illinois football team from 1912 to 1914. Chapman was selected as the captain of the 1914 Illinois...

 became the first University of Illinois football players to be selected as first-team All-Americans. Graves was selected as a first-team All-American by Frank G. Menke

Frank G. Menke

Frank Grant Menke was an American newspaper reporter, author, and sports historian. He wrote for the Hearst Newspapers from 1912 to 1932 and his articles appeared daily in 300 newspapers across the country. He was billed by the Hearst syndicate as "America's Foremost Sport Writer"...

, sporting editor of the International News Service

International News Service

International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...

.

After graduating from the University of Illinois, he worked as a lumber salesman for nine years. He moved to Robinson, Illinois

Robinson, Illinois

Robinson is a city in Crawford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,822 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.-Geography:Robinson is located at ....

, in 1925 and became a partner in the Otey Lumber Company. Graves later acquired the interest of his partner, and the business was renamed the Robinson Lumber Company. Graves acquired the Palestine Lumber Co. and the Oblong Lumber Co. and established the Hutsonville Lumber Co. He also officiated Big Ten football games for 22 years. He served as President of the Robinson Chamber of Commerce and was a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Moose, Elks and Masons.

White was married to Marvel White. Their son, Perry Graves, Jr., received Silver Stars for his service in both World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Their other three sons, Dean, Parker and Howard also served in World War II.

Graves retired from the lumber business in 1955 and continued to live in Robinson, Illinois. Graves died in January 1979 at age 89. At the time of his death, he was the second oldest living All-American (Hamilton Fish III

Hamilton Fish III

Hamilton Fish III was a soldier and politician from New York State...

was the oldest.)