Colonel Adele A. Graham (b. 1937) served in the United States Marine Corps from 1959-1990. Adele A. Graham was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graham's father retired as a brigadier general from the United States Marine Corps, and she thus spent most of her childhood on various Marine Corps installations.

Upon graduating from college, she enrolled at the Women's College of the University of North Carolina (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro). During the summer of her sophomore year, Graham enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve. She attended officer candidate school at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, upon graduation from Woman's College in 1959. After completing her officer training she was sent to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, South Carolina, for two months of training in supply and logistics.

After graduating at the top of class at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Graham returned to Marine Corps Base Quantico and became an officer attached to the base Materiel Division. After two years of service, she requested a transfer to Marine Corps Base Quantico's exchange service division. She was discharged from that unit after two years due to extenuating circumstances and was reassigned to the base's Women Marine detachment.

Graham was next stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Paris Island, South Carolina, and attached to the women's clothing unit. She quickly requested a change of duty assignment, and was then attached to Parris Island exchange division.

In 1965 Graham left active duty, and enrolled in a buyer's training program for the Jordan Marsh Company. After a year of inactivity, Graham spent the remainder of her military service as a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve working various temporary duty assignments, and occasionally returning to active duty for longer duty assignments. Graham retired from the United States Marine Corps colonel in 1990 after forty years of service.