The Rev. Billy Graham in the US Capitol? He’s one big step closer

A model of the Billy Graham statue that will represent North Carolina in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol was approved Wednesday afternoon.

The N.C. Legislature’s Statuary Hall Selection Committee unanimously approved the statue by Charlotte-based sculptor Chas Fagan, who also created former President Ronald Reagan’s likeness in the Capitol.

The final vote to approve the statue will now move to a congressional committee.

Graham’s likeness will replace that of Charles Aycock, a governor and white supremacist, who has represented North Carolina in the statuary hall since 1932.

Though pressure has increased recently across the country to remove statues of Confederate leaders and white supremacists, the plan to replace Aycock with Graham has been in the works since 2015.

Former State Rep. Dan Soucek proposed the switch, and the process began after Graham’s death in 2018.

Soucek, who co-chairs the selection committee, said the current interest in replacing statues allows the process to move faster than it ordinarily would. Aycock was one of the statues specifically named for removal in a bill by the Democratic-led House Appropriations Committee.

Each state gets two statues to represent it in the hall. The bill would remove all Confederate busts and statues from the Capitol within 45 days of its approval, which could also affect North Carolina’s other statue — of Zebulon B. Vance, a former governor and Confederate military officer.

Soucek said Aycock represented some things that were “disgusting at any age,” and didn’t best represent North Carolina. Graham was a better fit for the Capitol because of his global impact, he said.

“We wanted (the statue) to be someone who really made a significant impact in the lives of the state and the country and the world,” Soucek, a Republican, said. “...When people from all over the country and all over the world walk through Washington and say, North Carolina has two choices to be in here, what do we want them to be?”

The statue of Aycock will likely be moved to his birthplace, a historical site in Wayne County, said Garrett Dimond, North Carolina General Assembly attorney.

Model of Billy Graham statue

Fagan’s model, which Dimond said couldn’t be photographed because of a stipulation from the Capitol architect, stands 24 inches tall. When complete, Graham’s likeness, including its base, will be 10 feet and 10 inches tall.

The statue will be made of bronze and will stand on a base displaying Graham’s name and North Carolina. Crosses will be etched into either side of the base. The statue selection committee will vote on which Bible verses to add to the sides in late September.

The statue shows Graham standing upright, gesturing to a passage in the Bible in his hand. His left foot is slightly ahead of him, something Fagan noticed Graham did in every photo.

Several committee members commented on the liveliness the statue conveyed and how lifelike its eyes seemed. Cissie Graham Lynch, Graham’s granddaughter and a committee member, said the statue shows both her grandfather’s assurance and boldness. But the statue also conveys his “softness,” Lynch said.

“Anyone who knew my grandfather one-on-one, knew about his softness,” Lynch said, “whether it was in his hands, whether it was in his eyes.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 5:54 PM.