Gò0dNews for Everyone
Billy Graham Reached New Heights in Southeast Tennessee
F
by Douglas B. Caywood
rom October 2019 thru March 29, 2020, Trek Thru
completion of the first phase of this expansion will include
Truth hosted a national traveling exhibition from the
three new male giraffes. The Warner Field House, with
Museum of the Bible entitled Billy Graham: Pilgrim
its size and height, is providing
Preacher. This 1,500 sf exhibit highlighted the seven
a perfect home to these tall,
decades of Graham’s ministry of which his educational
majestic animals.
career began at Bob Jones College, now the home of Lee University, in Cleveland, Tennessee.
In addition to providing a structure that is still in use by a
One of Graham’s first jobs was at a shoe store in
major attraction in Chattanooga,
downtown Cleveland and he resided in Medlin Hall in 1936.
the 1953 Crusade was also a
He also delivered two of his first sermons locally, the first
pivotal point in history for racial
at Charleston Methodist Church and the second at Antioch
integration. At the crusade,
Baptist Church. Lee University’s campus now features
Graham himself removed the ropes that were separating
a street called Billy Graham Avenue honoring Graham’s
the blacks and whites when an usher refused to do so. From
tenure in Cleveland.
this point forward, Graham provided crusades that were
While the exhibit has been featured at Bradley Square Mall, there have been so many rekindled memories and
integrated with all attendees being treated equally. The Billy Graham Exhibit was visited by thousands
stories of the impact that Billy Graham has had locally,
during its tenure at Trek Thru Truth’s Satellite location at
nationally and internationally. Of those, one from 1953 has
Bradley Square Mall. This space will now be transformed
stood out with major significance.
into other interactive uses to share a glimpse of things to In Spring
come at the final destination for the 60,000+ sf children’s
1953, Billy
museum. Visit www.trekthrutruth.com and the Trek Thru
Graham
Truth Facebook page for additional information about this
planned to have
one-of-a-kind museum’s development.
a crusade in
Also, this Spring, make your plans to visit the African
Chattanooga,
Expansion at the Chattanooga Zoo and see the giraffe’s new
Tennessee. With
home in an original facility built for Billy Graham’s history
his increasing
making crusade in 1953. For more information on the
popularity, just
Chattanooga Zoo, visit www.chattzoo.org.
17 years from his early educational career in Cleveland, a new facility was needed to accommodate the 10,000 who would come for 26 days to hear his teaching. The Warner Field House was constructed for this purpose. Field House is still in use and is an integral part of the African Expansion that is set to open in Spring 2020. The
48 // April 2020
About The Author
If you have been to the Chattanooga Zoo, the Warner Doug Caywood is the president of Trek Thru Truth and managing principal of Lewis Group Architects, Cleveland Office. He is married to Jill Caywood and has three sons, two grandsons, and a granddaughter. Doug and Jill are members of Samples Memorial Baptist Church where they have actively taught the Pre-K and Kindergarten SS Classes for over ten years.
