AMERICAN BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY
WOMAN’S AMERICAN BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY
R E S O L U T I O N
REV. DAVID CROCKETT GRAHAM, Ph. D.
Between the years 1911 and 1948 Dr. and Mrs. D. C. Graham rendered distinguished service in the West China Mission. In addition to his evangelistic and educational work as a missionary, by using furloughs at home and vacations on the field, Dr. Graham was able to turn his hobbies to account in scholarly accomplishments in the field of science. His death occurred at Denver September 16, 1961. Mrs. Graham preceded him in death March 23, 1955. He was born in Green Forest, Arkansas, March 21, 1884.
From 1911 to 1930 Dr. Graham labored at Suifu (later known as Ipin) in evangelistic and educational work, caring for the central church with its fourteen outstations. With other missionaries he did Red Cross work during civil wars. He organized the first football team, and a Men’s Guild which did much social service work relief, arranged lectures on hygiene, moral problems, and similar constructive subjects. During his second term alone, the church grew from approximately 125 members to about one thousand. During their third term, dangers of the anti-Christian movement fostered by the Communists made it prudent for Mrs. Graham and the children to remain at home. Taking supplies over the Burma Road and going back alone, Dr. Graham courageously became the only missionary in Suifu and held the church and district work together until others could arrive and the antagonism subsided. He was the first Protestant missionary to return.
During the years from 1932 to 1939 the Grahams were at Chengtu, capital of the province and a center of learning with West China Union University* offering many opportunities. Dr. Graham became a co-pastor of the Chengtu Baptist Church, was for ten years curator of the University Museum of Archaeology, taught at Union Theology College and the University, and for three years was in charge of Vandeman Dormitory for men (Baptist). He was treasurer for the China Blind Welfare Association and the China’s Children Fund Incorporated [renamed Christian Children's Fund in 1951]. In addition to being president and secretary of the West China Border Research Society, he was for several years the editor of its Journal. He published many articles on Chinese archaeology (making six scientific excavations), and on Chinese porcelain and pottery. He was tremendously interested in the tribal peoples of West China and contributed articles on the Ch’uan Miao, the Ch’iang and the Lolos. Between the years 1920 and 1940 he was the official collector of natural history specimens for the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., collecting nearly four hundred thousand specimens varying from birds, pandas, bears and other mammals to fish, snakes and all kinds of insects. Nearly two hundred and fifty new species have been described from his collection and twenty-nine were named for him. The two live pandas he sent for the Bronx Zoo, New York City, attracted almost national interest. He was dispatched on this expedition in Tibet by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek as an expression of appreciation for generous gifts to Chinese war orphans by United China Relief.
Mrs. Graham entered into his career with keen interest, sometimes illustrating his books with water colors. Always their home was open for individuals and groups who sought the mental and spiritual stimulus these humble and scholarly friends had to share. Their five daughters married. David Crockett, Jr. died in infancy in China in 1914. They returned home to stay in 1948 because of Mrs. Graham’s ill health, and settled in Denver, Colorado, making the First Baptist Church their church home.
Dr. Graham held a Doctor of Science degree from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington; the M.S. and PhD. Degrees from the University of Chicago. He received the B.D. degree from Colgate University. He was made Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society in 1929. Always a very humble man, during the years in Denver he turned to speaking for many kinds of groups and from universities to small Baptist churches with or without honorarium. Smithsonian Institution accepted his 1,700-page manuscript for a scientific book, all of which he contributed without remuneration. There were some 600,000 Orientals in metropolitan Denver in the early 1950’s, and he and Mrs. Graham were put in charge of the outreach of the church to these friends.
It is regrettable that with all that this ambassador for God, with many portfolios, contributed with his pen he did not write his autobiography. Few have lived so eventful a life in areas of thought and action which command the interest of people in all walks of life.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That this brief tribute to David Crockett Graham, missionary extraordinary, be spread upon the minutes of the Board and be conveyed to his family.
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