In 1949, 30-year-old Billy Graham led a transformative evangelistic crusade in Los Angeles that catapulted him to national prominence. What began as a three-week campaign extended to 57 days, drawing over 350,000 attendees and marking the beginning of Graham's seven-decade tenure as America's most recognizable Christian figure.

Before the L.A. Crusade, Graham served as vice president of Youth for Christ and became America's youngest college president at Northwestern Theological Seminary. He was chosen by fundamentalist leader William Bell Riley to carry forward Midwestern fundamentalism while maintaining his evangelistic work.

The crusade, organized by Christ for Greater Los Angeles, began in a 6,000-seat tent on September 25. Graham's message focused on personal salvation through Jesus Christ, while addressing social issues like communism and moral decay. The conversion of celebrities like radio broadcaster Stuart Hamblen and Olympian Louis Zamperini attracted media attention, particularly from publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst, who famously instructed his newspapers to "Puff Graham." This coverage led to increased attendance, requiring a larger 9,000-seat tent.

The event demonstrated the interplay between divine sovereignty and human action. While organizers prayed and planned extensively, key decisions - from extending the crusade to Hearst's media coverage - shaped its impact. Graham emerged as the central figure in the New Evangelical movement, offering a middle ground between separatist fundamentalism and mainline Protestantism.

The L.A. Crusade established Graham as the face of postwar evangelicalism, alongside influential figures like Harold John Ockenga and Carl F. H. Henry. This pivotal event launched a movement that would influence American Christianity for decades to come.

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