Sen. Graham to speak at Riley event

Sen. Lindsey Graham

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will be the keynote speaker at the eighth annual David H. Wilkins awards dinner to be held in Columbia Tuesday, Jan. 8.

The event, which takes place at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, is presented by the Riley Institute at Furman University.  The evening begins with a reception at 6 p.m., and the dinner and awards presentation will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The dinner will honor South Carolina Representative James Harrison and Charleston businesswoman Anita G. Zucker as recipients of the 2012 David Wilkins awards for legislative and civic leadership.  Harrison will receive the Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership, while Zucker will receive the award for Excellence in Civic Leadership.

Tickets are $125 each and can be purchased by calling 864-235-8330 or visiting the Riley Institute website.  Table sponsorships are also available.

Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2008. He serves on some of the Senate’s most important committees, including the committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, Budget, and Judiciary.

Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 as the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s Third Congressional District in Washington since 1877.  Prior to that, he served as a lawyer in the U.S. Air Force and was a member of the South Carolina Air National Guard until 1995.  He continues to serve in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is one of only three U.S. Senators currently serving in the Guard or Reserves.

A native of Central, Graham earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.

Additional information about the Wilkins awards dinner and 2012 honorees can be found online and by contacting the Riley Institute at 864-294-3546 or ashley.delahoussaye@furman.edu.