Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18, 1926, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Rolf Cirkler Aurness (1894–1982), a businessman, and his wife Ruth (née Duesler, died 1986), a journalist. Graves\' ancestry was Norwegian, German, and English. Peter used the stage name "Graves", a maternal family name, to honor his mother\'s family, and also so as to not be confused with his older brother, James Arness, the star of the television series Gunsmoke.\n', '

Graves graduated from Southwest High School in 1944. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II reaching the rank of corporal. After demobilisation, Graves enrolled at the University of Minnesota on the G.I. Bill, and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.\n', '

Graves appeared in more than 70 films, television shows, and television movies during his career. In 1955, Graves joined the NBC television series Fury, as the rancher and adoptive single father, Jim Newton. Graves also was featured in the 1953 World War II film, Stalag 17.\n', '

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