As an industrious young man, Joe McGraw worked at Kewanee Oil Company during the day and attended the TU College of Law at night to earn his degree. He added duties as the TU Law librarian after his night classes for his last two years of law school, demonstrating the determination and strong work ethic that would lead to his tremendous career achievements in Tulsa’s real estate sector.

McGraw graduated from law school and went to work for a bank briefly before entering the real estate business, where he discovered his true calling. He founded McGraw Breckenridge Company Realtors in 1965, which merged with another company in 1986 to create McGraw Davisson Stewart before establishing McGraw Realtors and McGraw Commercial Properties.

In addition to his real estate enterprises, Joe McGraw worked for his fellow Oklahomans by serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives (1964-66) and the Oklahoma State Senate (1966-1972). His sense of civic duty also led to his service as a Director of RELO, The International Relocation Network, based in Chicago, Illinois, and on the TU College of Law Advisory Board.