James Robinson "J.R." Graves was born in Chester, Vermont on April 10, 1820. His father tragically died only a few weeks after he was born. And, while his family was heir to his father's profitable business, it was stolen from his wife by his father's partner in business. Consequently, with little means upon which to raise her children, J.R. never received a proper education growing up. Not to deter him, J.R. became a self-educated man. And it worked. Graves became a prolific author, magnetic speaker, fierce debater, and able scholar in his own right. After serving as editor of The Tennessee Baptist beginning in 1848, Graves died and passed on to his eternal reward in 1893.