Considered by many to be the greatest hymn writer of all time, Frances Jane “Fanny” Crosby wrote over 7000 hymns. People found this astonishing because she was blind.
Fanny wrote “To God Be The Glory” about 1872, and included it in a collection of hymns entitled Brightest and Best. However, while many of the hymns in that collection became quite famous, this one didn't catch on — at least, not in America.
Then in 1954, Billy Graham went to England for his London Crusade. Someone gave a copy of the song to Cliff Barrows, Graham's song leader, and suggested including it in the songbook that was being compiled for the crusade. Barrows had heard the song on an earlier visit to England, and was impressed with its strong note of praise — so he included it in the songbook and used it in the crusade.
However, it was not until the Billy Graham Crusade in Nashville that Cliff Barrows introduced this song to congregations in the United States. Because of Graham and Barrows influence, compilers soon began including it in hymnals.
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Source: Lectionary