R. W. "Buzzy" Graham

Ralph Warren "Buzzy" Graham
Louisiana State Representative from Rapides and Grant parishes
In office 1968–1972
Preceded by	At-large membership: Robert J. Munson Larry Parker William P. Polk
Succeeded by	Ned Randolph (Single-member District 26)
Personal details
Born	(1937-07-07)July 7, 1937 Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
Died	December 19, 2014(2014-12-19) (aged 77)
Resting place	Alexandria Memorial Gardens in Alexandria, Louisiana
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Carol Parker Graham
Children	Ginger Niemann Leslie Letbetter Piper Glasgow Peyton Mayeaux Ten grandchildren
Residence	Woodworth, Louisiana
Alma mater	Bolton High School Louisiana State University
Occupation	Insurance agent
Religion	United Methodist Church
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army National Guard

Ralph Warren Graham, known as R. W. "Buzzy" Graham (July 7, 1937 – December 19, 2014), was an insurance agent in Alexandria, Louisiana,^[1][2] who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1968 to 1972.

Background

Graham was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, to the late Bess and Warren Graham. He graduated in 1955 from Bolton High School and in 1959 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he was affiliated with Kappa Alpha fraternity. After college, he enlisted in the United States Army National Guard and reached the rank of captain. In his early years, he was active in the Junior Chamber International. He was a member of Kiwanis International, the Alexandria-Pineville Chamber of Commerce, and the Masonic lodge. He was also a Shriner.^[3]

Graham was a pilot, hunter, fisherman, and scuba diver. He spent much time at his camp, the Catfish Point Club, in Greenville, Mississippi. His friend Tommy Antoon of Alexandria said of Graham: "He was a craftsman. He could build or fix most anything. But most of all, he was a good person and a very good friend."^[4]

Graham was married to the former Carol Parker (1940-2016), the daughter of Clarence and Loudell Parker; she lived during childhood in Austin, Texas, Arlington, Virginia, and Puerto Rico.^[5] The couple had four daughters, Ginger Niemann and husband, John, of Houston, Texas, Leslie Letbetter of Spring, Texas, Piper Glasgow and husband, Ray, of Amite in Tangipahoa Parish, and Peyton Mayeaux and husband, James, of Shreveport, and ten grandchildren.^[3]

Graham and his wife were members of the First United Methodist Church of Alexandria.^[3]

Political life

In the legislature, Graham served alongside T. C. Brister, W. K. Brown, and Robert J. Munson from Rapides and Grant parishes.^[6] As a legislator, he was considered a reformer and supported the agenda advanced by E.L. "Bubba" Henry, the then Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.^[7]

Graham was also a member of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973. In the spring of that same year, as the favorite of the business community, he lost a high-profile race for mayor of Alexandria to his fellow Democrat, John K. Snyder. Incumbent Ed Karst did not seek reelection, and Snyder and Graham met in a contentious Democratic runoff election.^[8] Snyder went on to serve two nonconsecutive terms as mayor.

In 1979, Graham crossed party lines to endorse the election of Republican David C. Treen as governor. Treen narrowly defeated Louis Lambert, a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission from Baton Rouge, who had chaired the constitutional convention of which Graham had been a member six years earlier.^[9]

Graham continued with his insurance business until his retirement as vice chairman of Risk Services of Louisiana. Later a resident of Woodworth in south Rapides Parish, he died on December 19, 2014 at the age of seventy-seven. After services at the First United Methodist Church on December 21, he was interred at Alexandria Memorial Gardens.^[3]

References