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Literacy Loses Long-time Champion

Harold W. McGraw, Jr., former president and CEO of the McGraw-Hill publishing company and a long-time supporter of literacy and education, died March 24. He was 92.

Mr. McGraw was deeply involved in meeting the challenges of national literacy and education. He contributed to numerous literacy organizations and encouraged involvement of employees and retirees by providing grants to those who became active in literacy programs around the country.

For decades, Mr. McGraw supported both of ProLiteracy's predecessor organizations, Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. and Laubach Literacy International. He has been honored by our Leadership Award, given to individuals, foundations, corporations, and organizations that made a significant impact on the field of literacy nationwide, and recognized for his support of our National Book Fund.

In 1983, he established the Business Council for Effective Literacy, an organization that rallied major American corporations in the fight against illiteracy. The following year, he founded the Business Press Educational Foundation, which gives business journalism students a broad range of educational materials and opportunities, including editorial internships.

Mr. McGraw received the nation's highest literacy award in 1990 from President George H.W. Bush. President Bush, in presenting him with the Literacy Award said, "Your grandfather, James McGraw, began as a teacher before turning to publishing. It now seems so very appropriate that you should turn from publishing to a very special type of teaching—teaching your business colleagues nationwide that literacy is crucial to our workforce and to our economy."

We at ProLiteracy extend our condolences to Mr. McGraw's family. Mr. McGraw and his efforts in the literacy movement will be dearly missed.