Rev. Billy Graham Dies at Age 99

(NBC News) Reverend Billy Graham, the son of a North Carolina dairy farmer who lived to become one of the most beloved and most powerful religious leaders of our time, has died at the age of 99.

Graham was the unofficial pastor of the White House, giving spiritual counsel to every president since Truman.

He made the Gallup survey of the 10 Most Admired Men in the world 37 times, in an age when when other televangelists were toppled by financial and sexual scandal.

Reverend Graham may be most remembered for his crusades, massive revivals that filled coliseums and stadiums around the world.

His ministry began in 1943 at a small Baptist church in Illinois. He preached on street corners, on radio, and was one of the first ministers to embrace the new medium of television.

Late in life, as his body was weakened by Parkinson’s disease, his faith remained rock solid.

“The moment that I die, I’m going to be in the presence of God, and it’s going to be a wonderful life, a thrilling life. Something beyond anything that we have in this world,” he said.