John Graham
John Graham has announced his retirement from his position as executive senior associate athletics director, Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas, after 28 years at the helm, effective Aug. 31.
“I’ve thought about retiring for quite some time,” said Graham. “This seemed like as good a time as any. I realized that at 66 (years old) I would get full social security benefits and thought I’d make the move.”
Graham got his start in the arena industry in 1980 as the Events Manager of Assembly Hall (now State Farm Center) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He spent nine years at Assembly Hall, working his way up to assistant director and then associate director, before moving to Austin to join the Frank Erwin Center as associate director in May of 1989. He was then promoted to director in October of 1990, succeeding Dean Justice.
Graham said highlights of his tenure at Frank Erwin Center were when President Bill Clinton came to speak; hearing the Dali Lama speak; Final Fours in volleyball, big name regional basketball games, The Davis Cup in professional tennis, Paul McCartney (a project which took two years to work out) and Adele.
Graham’s first event was Ringling Bros. Circus and had the circus not phased out, Ringling Bros. circus would have been his last event. “Some things never change,” he said.
What has changed after 38 years in the venue world revolves around tech, promotions and security, according to Graham. “How we deliver tickets is nothing like it used to be. In the old days, we’d get a shoebox filled with preprinted tickets. We’d put them in racks, by sections, and sell it all through a single box office. Now it’s all social media and paperless tickets.”
“Security started ramping up after 9/11 and it’s become a major issue for all of us,” said Graham. “It requires diligence and attention and you have to invest in technology like metal detectors and high-tech security cameras and training the staff.”
During Graham’s 28 year tenure, he was instrumental in bringing world renowned events to the Frank Erwin Center including the first ever WWF (now WWE) event in 1989, which was a sellout with approximately 17,000 fans in attendance; the Davis Cup quarterfinals between the U.S. and Spain in 2011 and, most recently, the iHeartCountry Music Festival, which returns for its fourth year this May.
Graham said the thing he will miss the most when he leaves will be “the crew, one hundred percent. We have nine departments and those folks have been with me 20 years, if not more. When you spend nights and weekends with people, they become like a village. You go through all the dynamics that you would have with an extended family and you’re concerned about people and want the best for them.”
Graham is only the second director of the Frank Erwin Center, following Justice, CFE, who opened the venue in 1977.