Bob Graham Center for Public Service

The Bob Graham Center for Public Service, housed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a community of students, scholars and citizens who share a commitment to training the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community. To continue his legacy of leadership, former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham founded the center to further his dedication to the idea that citizens need a firm grounding in democratic government to discharge their rights and responsibilities. Graham visits the center frequently, introducing and interviewing speakers for the public programming and meeting with and hosting seminars for center students.

The center, located in Pugh Hall on the University of Florida campus, held its grand opening in March 2008.

The Bob Graham Center's mission includes encouraging discussion and analysis of current issues that affect citizens locally, nationally and globally. The Center regularly hosts public events, featuring to date: seven former state governors, four sitting or former United States senators, four sitting or former United States congressmen, three former national party chairmen, one former Secretary of State, one former surpreme court justice and four former ambassadors, as well as numerous journalists, scholars and activists. These events are free and open to the public and most feature audience question-and-answer sessions. Most events are streamed live and archived on the Center’s website.

The Bob Graham Center provides University of Florida students with the opportunity to combine academic coursework and credentials with a living curriculum of internships and real-world case studies. The Center offers a Public Leadership Minor, an interdisciplinary program for undergraduates interested in careers in the public and private sectors. The Minor is designed to complement a variety of majors, including those in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, journalism and business. Students pursuing the Minor participate in workshops, seminars and the Center’s public programming, and an internship is required. Students have numerous opportunities to get involved in public service projects, such as serving on the Public Service Council or participating in the Civic Polling or Civic Library projects.

The Knight Foundation Grant

In December 2010, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded a three-year, three-million dollar grant to the Bob Graham Center to support its pioneering approach to prepare University of Florida (UF) students to be informed, skilled and engaged citizens. There are five distinct categories of activities (products) in the three-year Knight Grant. They are:

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