[1][2] Graham was born in Toronto in 1914,[3] where he attended Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute and St. Michael's College School.
After working briefly as a milkman, he joined the Toronto Police Service in 1937, in the traffic division.
He took a leave of absence during World War II to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1944.
[4] After returning to the police force, he resigned in 1947 in order to manage a hardware store and engineering supply firm.
[3][1][4] In the 1959 general election, he was defeated by Liberal Party of Ontario candidate Vernon Singer.