Twenty-Five Greatest Champions of America: Part One

to divide the Union and consequently delay the end to slavery in America, he nonetheless warrants mention on this list for his sense of duty (however misguided) and, most of all, his graceful and dignified surrender in April 1865. It was this decision to surrender rather than plunge the country into years of bloody, guerilla warfare that made reconciliation possible - and should make all of us today very grateful.

#23: Walt Disney

While the company no longer adheres to the ideology of its founder, no one can deny the immense cultural influence exerted by the Walt Disney Company in the years since its inception. What began with a simple animated cartoon turned into an enormous empire that literally transformed American culture and brought joy to children and adults everywhere. Born into poverty, Walt Disney went on to create the first animated cartoon, invent Mickey Mouse (still the symbol of children's entertainment in America), and establish the first major theme park. What warrants his placement on our list was his intense patriotism and commitment to using the entertainment medium to encourage love of country and uphold American values. Unfortunately for many, his successors at Disney have had different perspectives on American culture, politics, and history, and have taken his entertainment empire in different directions than what he envisioned. Nevertheless, Walt Disney deserves to be remembered as one of our country's greatest figures.

#22: Billy Graham

He has been called the "Pope of Protestant America," and has counseled ordinary Americans and Presidents alike. He has ministered to countless millions in revival meetings, stadium events, and nationally televised appearances. Harold Bloom, writing for Time magazine, says of the great twentieth-century evangelist: "His sincerity, transparent and convincing, cannot be denied. He is an icon essential to a country in which, for two centuries now, religion has been not the opiate but the poetry of the people." Without question, though now in the twilight of his life, William Franklin Graham, Jr. remains America's leading spiritual figure and one of the most influential evangelists of all time.

#21: Rosa Parks

Sometimes, a single action can trigger monumental changes. And, sometimes, one moment in time can embody the tensions and challenges facing an entire nation. What Rosa Parks did on December 1, 1955 represents both of those situations. Her courageous refusal to bow to racist norms in the segregated South formed an intersection of time, tradition, and tension that unleashed one

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