Billy Graham went senile and Evangelicals hid it
A look at the health of a legendary leader
For decades he was the figurehead of Evangelicalism and a global ‘religious leader’. In his late years, Billy Graham led by books and written statements.
In 2016, he even voted for Donald Trump — all according to his son Franklin. He died in 2018, said to be alert to the end. But other relatives said Billy Graham had been senile for years.
Graham’s health was always a weird subject.
He seemed the strong, tall leader on stage. But by later reports he often experienced an array of health problems. In 1991, William Martin wrote in his biography A Prophet With Honor:
“Graham suffered from an astonishing assortment of ailments, including hernias, ulcers, tumors, cysts, polyps, infections, pneumonia, chronic high blood pressure, throbbing headaches, spider bites, and a series of falls that broke eighteen of his ribs.”
In a profile in 1995, Martin was a bit more pointed:
“Billy has always fought a secret life of pain and illness to get into the pulpit. He’s courageous and mentally strong, but physically, he’s been more…
