Americans Rank Billy Graham Among World's 'Most Admired' Men for 58th Time

By Timothy Yap Dec 31, 2014 10:08 PM EST

For nearly seven decades, Gallup has asked Americans, using an open-ended question, to name the man and woman living anywhere in the world whom they admire most. The current results are based on a Dec. 8-11 poll. Evangelist Billy Graham is listed as the number four "Most Admired Man" in world of 2014. The polling results mark the 58th time that the 96-year-old televangelist has made the top 10 list.

The pollster's telephone survey results from 805 U.S. adults ages 18 and older placed Graham, referred to as "America's pastor," in the top 10 list of most admired men in the world for 2014. Two percent of poll participants named him as their first or second choice when asked "What man that you have heard or read about, living today in any part of the world do you admire most."

Graham was a spiritual adviser to several Presidents; he was particularly close to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson (who was considered to be one of Graham's closest friends) and Richard Nixon. He insisted on integration for his revivals and crusades in 1953 and invited Martin Luther King, Jr. to preach jointly at a revival in New York City in 1957. Graham bailed King out of jail in the 1960s when he was arrested in demonstrations.

Graham operates a variety of media and publishing outlets. According to his staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to "accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior". As of 2008, Graham's estimated lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion.

Other people listed on the poll include Barack Obama who is listed as #1 on the "Most Admired Men" list, followed by Pope Francis, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush coming in at #5 after Graham. On the wome's list, Hillary Clinton tops the pole with Oprah Winfrey not far behind.

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