Graham, W. A. (William Alexander), 1875-1954

Historian.

From the guide to the Charles Kuhlman collection on the Battle of the Little Big Horn, 1933-1959, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

United States army officer; historian of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

From the description of Map of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, [19--?]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84553000

From the description of Map of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, [19--?]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702150384

W. A. Graham (1875-1954) was an American lawyer, army officer, and writer.

William Alexander Graham was born January 23, 1875. He studied at Beloit College Academy from 1891 to 1894, at Stanford University from 1894 to 1896, and at the University of Iowa in 1897. He passed the Iowa Bar that year and practiced law in Iowa until 1916. He began his military service in 1912 when he served as a captain in the National Guard. He became a Major in the Judge Advocate's Department for the United States Army in 1920. He became a colonel in 1931 and retired from the U.S. Army in 1939. During his service at the Mexican border (1916-1917) he received the Mexican Border Service Medal, Victory Medal with Meuse-Argonne and Defensive Sector bars. In addition to being in the military, the colonel was also an author. Some of his works include "The Story of Little Big Horn" (1926), "The Custer Myth" (1953), and "Abstract of the Reno Court of Inquiry" (1954). He died October 8, 1954 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1921 Colonel Graham researched habeas corpus proceedings concerning prisoners held by general courts-martial. He looked into the practice starting with the American Revolution period, starting with the case of John André in 1780 until the 1920s and was given access to all related documents.

From the guide to the W. A. Graham research, circa 1778-1921, 1934, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)