There, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the school's inaugural football team, as well as captain of the Alabama Corps of Cadets.

[1] After the loss, although he refrained from running for a political position for a decade, he remained active in politics, "managing Comer's 1904 campaign ... and serving as chair of the State Democratic Executive Committee in 1914, during which time he helped write a new election law replacing runoff elections with a first- and second-choice option ballot system.

"[4] As governor, Graves earned a reputation as a reformer, abolishing the convict leasing system and raising taxes on public utilities, railways, and coal and iron companies.

"To maintain his popularity among the farmers in northern Alabama and the working classes, Graves made good on his commitment to New Deal legislation, winning a reputation as one of the most progressive governors in the South.

Receiving these British leaders in Alabama was largely Graves' idea and was intended to improve diplomatic relations and economic ties between the United States and Great Britain.

Graves was a strong opponent of eugenic sterilization; and in 1938, he was on hand to greet 1,200 delegates to the founding session of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare, a meeting of southern liberals, who addressed labor relations, farm tenancy, the poll tax, and constitutional rights and who condemned "enforced segregation within Birmingham."

In World War I, Graves, as a colonel, commanded the 117th U.S. Field Artillery in France, and upon his return to Alabama, he helped organize the state's section of the American Legion.

[14] Bob Jones University was the first to remove Graves's name from a campus building, renaming a residence hall to honor Harry A. Ironside,[15] a Canadian-American preacher, Bible teacher, theologian, and pastor of Moody Church in Chicago from 1929 to 1948.

[18] In January 2021, Jacksonville State University's (JSU) administrative building, then named Bibb Graves Hall, was renamed by the Board of Trustees "to reflect a more unified campus that believes in social justice and equality.

[21] Following protests, the University of North Alabama removed signage referring to Bibb Graves Hall in 2021, though it has yet to rename the building.

[22][11] The University of Montevallo has also stated that it intends to change the name of Bibb Graves Hall, though it will be a lengthy process due to the age of the building.