Clarence H Graham was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He attended Clark University in the same town as an undergraduate and later for his graduate studies. There, he studied psychology. In 1920, he began a one-year postdoctoral position at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While there, he made contacts at the Johnson Foundation for Medial Physics. In 1931, he received a National Research Fellowship to continue his work at the foundation.

In 1932, Graham returned to Clark University to begin his professorial and research career. In 1936, Graham moved to Brown University, where he stayed for five years. During the second World War, Graham’s work supported the military effort, and for his work during this time, he was awarded the Presidential Certificate of Merit in 1948. In 1945, Graham returned to academia and started work at Columbia. He remained there for the rest of his career.

Graham received many recognitions for his work over the years, including the Howard Crosby Warren Medal, OSA’s Edgar D. Tillyer Award, and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award.