Randomly oriented graphite electrodes from Union Carbide (ATJ) and Stackpole (SP2020) have been characterized by classical acid-base titration, weight measurements, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) before and after various chemical and electrochemical pretreatments, It was found that the concentration of strong and weak acidic groups increases upon electrochemical oxidation of the graphite electrode. The weight increase of a graphite electrode as a result of electrochemical oxidation is attributed to the formation of oxidized graphite and the intercalation of anions and solvent molecules into the graphitic material. The intercalation of sulfate was confirmed by the increase of the sulfur 2s and sulfur 2p peaks of the XPS spectra. The electrochemical oxidative pretreatment also causes an increase of the capacitive envelope of the cyclic voltammogram which is not solely related to an increase of the surface area of the electrode. A set of well-defined anodic and cathodic peaks centered at 0.38 V vs. SCE also develops upon oxidation and is attributed to the presence of quinone/hydroquinone redox species.