UC to Present Highest Award, an Honorary Degree, to XU President Michael Graham

The University of Cincinnati will bestow its highest award, an honorary doctorate, on the Reverend Michael J. Graham, S.J., president of Xavier University, during UC’s December Commencement ceremonies, set for

9 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 14

, in Fifth Third Arena. Graham will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

In his role as XU’s president since 2001, Graham consistently exemplifies the belief that the city’s universities must be active corporate citizens and contribute significantly to the betterment of our community. At Xavier, he has established

• the Community Building Institute, which promotes and coordinates development that is driven and led by the community itself;

• the James and Delrose Eigel Center for Community-Engaged Learning that extends the campus into the community through direct service, community building and public policy advocacy;

• and the Edward B. Brueggeman Center for Dialogue which, established in 2002, positioned XU as a preeminent place for inter-religious discourse, thought and action.

Graham also takes a hands-on approach to service in the community. For example, shortly after becoming president, civil unrest broke out in the city. Graham took a leading role in the CAN Commission, a grassroots effort to begin dialogue and programs to address the issues that resulted in the riots. At the same time, he took to walking through the neighborhoods closest to Xavier, in North Avondale and Evanston, as well as Over-the-Rhine, to speak with residents and listen to their concerns.

Graham’s commitment to the community continues in a variety of ways today, including ongoing collaboration with UC President Santa J. Ono. By working together with organizations such as the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the presidents and their universities work cooperatively to further tolerance and understanding to the benefit of the entire city.

According to XU board member Barbara Howard, an attorney and an alumna of both XU and UC, “We are very fortunate to have two great universities in the city and to have such outstanding leadership at the helm of each. Both Father Graham and President Ono have raised the bar for higher education in Cincinnati. As I look at the incredible example that President Ono has set at UC with his vibrancy and Father Graham’s 24/7 passion for XU, it occurs to me that that these two leaders share a remarkable vision for our city, one that we should consistently celebrate.”

In addition to building community within the city, Graham has overseen a tremendous transformation of the Xavier campus. Historic buildings now stand next to state-of-the-art facilities, and scholars and students meet amid expanded green spaces.

In 2010, Xavier opened the James E. Hoff, S.J. Academic Quad. Within the quad is the Williams College of Business, a technology-packed building that includes the Fifth Third Trading Center and the Michael J. Conaton Learning Commons.

In 2011, Xavier opened its second largest building on campus, Bishop Edward Fenwick Place. Set in the heart of campus, it is home to a residence hall for 535 students, a 700-plus-seat dining hall and staff offices. Overseeing all of this new development is an 11-foot tall statue of the University's patron saint and one of the first Jesuits, Francis Xavier. His outstretched hand welcomes all to campus. 

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Graham entered the Society of Jesus in 1978 and was ordained a priest in 1988. He earned a PhD in American Studies from the University of Michigan in 1983 and also holds degrees in philosophy and psychology. Graham came to Xavier in 1984 when he joined the Xavier faculty as an assistant professor of history. He left Xavier to pursue his Master of Divinity, which he earned in 1988 from the Weston School of Theology.

In 1989, Graham returned to Xavier and in 1994 was appointed vice president for university relations. In 1999, he became the executive assistant to the president. During these tenures, he oversaw a broad range of university activities, including a $125 million capital campaign, at that time the most ambitious and successful fundraising campaign in Xavier's history.

As a parish priest active at both Good Shepherd Catholic Church in suburban Cincinnati and with Xavier student groups, Graham carries out his Jesuit pastoral activities as a celebrant for weddings, baptisms and retreats as well as weekly Sunday worship.

Among the boards Graham serves on are St. Xavier High School, the Center for the Holocaust and Humanity Education, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.

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