Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves

Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves (May 4, 1916 – January 15, 1994) served as the seventh Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana (1973-1982).

Graves was born in Texarkana in Miller County in southwestern Arkansas, and attended St. John Home Mission Seminary in the capital city of Little Rock. He then studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1942.

On February 24, 1969, Graves was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock and Titular Bishop of Vina by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 25 from Bishop Albert Lewis Fletcher, with Bishops Lawrence Michael De Falco and Warren L. Boudreaux serving as co-consecrators.

Following the retirement of Bishop Charles Pasquale Greco, On May 10, 1973, Graves was named Bishop of Alexandria in Alexandria, Louisiana, to succeed Charles Pasquale Greco. During his tenure, he was established or improved continuing education for priests, offices for religious education and youth ministry, permanent diaconate program, and the communications apostolate in newspaper, radio, and television. The name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport in 1976.

After nine years at Louisiana, Graves resigned as bishop on July 20, 1982. He later died at age 77.