Graham McKinnon was born on May 1, 1866, in Robeson County, North Carolina. A progressive farmer in the Rowland community, McKinnon was tapped to serve as a member of the state's eastern district exemption board in June 1917 to aid in the implementation of the draft for World War I. His untimely death just a few weeks after the appointment prevented him from serving. He died in Rowland on July 5, 1917.