David Graham ’59 and Linda Houston ’59 met at Berea College and married in Danforth Chapel upon their graduation. Theirs is a true Berea love story—love for each other, love of their alma mater and the love for today’s students, in which they saw themselves. After graduation, David attended Emory University College of Dentistry and spent his entire career in dental practice. Linda was employed at a large company, working her way from secretary to senior executive assistant over a span of 50 years.
The Grahams gave their first gift of $5 to Berea in 1973. Throughout the years, the couple supported College choir trips, the John Auxier Scholarship Fund and the Berea Fund. They had no heirs and decided to leave their estate to Berea College.
When David passed away in 2017, Linda chose to distribute some of the estate funds to areas in which the College had specific need. She ultimately decided on the dental clinic, in honor of David’s life’s work.
Beginning this year, she will fund the entirety of Berea College dental clinic services. Graham’s gift to fully support the White House Dental Clinic builds off seed funding from other philanthropists who recognized the unique needs of some of Berea’s students and invests in tangible ways to meet those needs.