success as much as their athletic success. Ninety-three percent of his players graduated, and more than half of the graduates ultimately earned law or medical degrees. Graves' "Silver Sixties" Gators remained a close-knit group, and they held an annual reunion with their former coach every year from 1970 until 2014, the year before he died. After resigning as Florida's head football coach, Graves remained the university's athletic director until 1979, a position he had also held since becoming the football coach in 1960. His remaining tenure as athletic director was notable for the University of Florida embracing the challenges and opportunities in women's college sports presented by Title IX. After he was approached by Professor Dr. Ruth H. Alexander and other female coaches to fund women's athletics, their proposal was brought to the Faculty Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics who approved their budgeting plan for the 1972–73 season. Under Graves' guidance, Florida's women's sports program began its climb to become one of the top ten women's programs in Division I sports. After he retired as athletic director in 1979, he worked for another year as a special assistant for fundraising in the office of the university president. Graves was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1972, the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990. When Steve Spurrier returned to Gainesville as the Gators' head coach in 1990, he created the Ray Graves Trophy, an annual team MVP award selected by the players. The athletic office at the University of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was named in honor of Graves during the 2005 season. Steagles 60th anniversary On August 17, 2003, the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the Steagles in pregame and halftime ceremonies for the 2003 season opener at Heinz Field. The Steelers recreated the era in their "Turn Back the Clock" ceremonies, including broadcasting in black and white on the Jumbotron and airing World War II footage during the national anthem. All live entertainment was done to reflect the 1940s. Graves was on hand as six of the nine surviving members of that Steagles team were honored by the Steelers during halftime. During the festivities, the Steelers gave each of the six members a replica Steagles jersey. The jersey worn by Graves was returned to