Television Evangelist and Pastor. He is best remembered for founding the Moral Majority, using it to influence US national policy. Born to a typical American family, Falwell did not consider himself very religious until his sophomore year in college, in 1952, when he underwent a religious conversion. Rather than pursue his career intention of becoming a professional baseball player, he transferred to the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, graduating in June 1956. That same year, he moved back to Lynchburg, where he started the Thomas Road Baptist Church with just 35 members, and a couple of weeks later, started the Old-Time Gospel Hour, a daily radio ministry which he later expanded to television. It is currently estimated that over three million people now watch the Old-Time Gospel Hour on television. In 1958, he married Macel Pate; they would have two sons and a daughter: Jerry Jr, Jonathan, and Jennie. Over the years, Falwell built a Christian education system, beginning with the Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1967. Three years later, he started Liberty University, with a liberal arts Christian-oriented curriculum, taught by Christian professors, as an alternative to what Falwell viewed was the college movement away from Christ; Liberty University now has over 21,000 students. But it was Falwell's concern that society and politics were becoming more immoral that led him to found the Moral Majority, which Falwell started in 1979 as a conservative political lobbying movement for which he is best known. Opposition liberals quickly labeled it the "Religious Right." The Moral Majority was founded on Falwell's principles and beliefs of pro-life (anti-Abortion), pro-family (anti-LGBTQ), pro-Israel, and pro-strong National Defense. Falwell used the Moral Majority to encourage voters to exercise their right to vote for conservative candidates. As a political action lobby, it has attracted much controversy. Falwell and the Moral Majority became politically active over the years on a number of political subjects. In 1989, Falwell dissolved the Moral Majority, saying that its political aims had been achieved, but in 2004, he formed the Faith and Values Coalition when he realized that a conservative politically active group was still needed. Over the years, Falwell has been honored with a number of awards, including three honorary Doctorates, and has met with four US Presidents (Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush Sr.), six Israeli Prime Ministers, and a number of other presidents and leaders from around the world. He has also written more than ten books, including his autobiography in 1997. In February 2005, he was hospitalized with a viral infection, and a month later, was hospitalized again with congestive heart failure after being found unconscious. Falwell had been diagnosed with heart problems, and it is believed that his heart simply stopped. He was found unconscious while working in his office at Liberty University, and was pronounced dead at the age of 73 at the Lynchburg General Hospital.

Television Evangelist and Pastor. He is best remembered for founding the Moral Majority, using it to influence US national policy. Born to a typical American family, Falwell did not consider himself very religious until his sophomore year in college, in 1952, when he underwent a religious conversion. Rather than pursue his career intention of becoming a professional baseball player, he transferred to the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, graduating in June 1956. That same year, he moved back to Lynchburg, where he started the Thomas Road Baptist Church with just 35 members, and a couple of weeks later, started the Old-Time Gospel Hour, a daily radio ministry which he later expanded to television. It is currently estimated that over three million people now watch the Old-Time Gospel Hour on television. In 1958, he married Macel Pate; they would have two sons and a daughter: Jerry Jr, Jonathan, and Jennie. Over the years, Falwell built a Christian education system, beginning with the Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1967. Three years later, he started Liberty University, with a liberal arts Christian-oriented curriculum, taught by Christian professors, as an alternative to what Falwell viewed was the college movement away from Christ; Liberty University now has over 21,000 students. But it was Falwell's concern that society and politics were becoming more immoral that led him to found the Moral Majority, which Falwell started in 1979 as a conservative political lobbying movement for which he is best known. Opposition liberals quickly labeled it the "Religious Right." The Moral Majority was founded on Falwell's principles and beliefs of pro-life (anti-Abortion), pro-family (anti-LGBTQ), pro-Israel, and pro-strong National Defense. Falwell used the Moral Majority to encourage voters to exercise their right to vote for conservative candidates. As a political action lobby, it has attracted much controversy. Falwell and the Moral Majority became politically active over the years on a number of political subjects. In 1989, Falwell dissolved the Moral Majority, saying that its political aims had been achieved, but in 2004, he formed the Faith and Values Coalition when he realized that a conservative politically active group was still needed. Over the years, Falwell has been honored with a number of awards, including three honorary Doctorates, and has met with four US Presidents (Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush Sr.), six Israeli Prime Ministers, and a number of other presidents and leaders from around the world. He has also written more than ten books, including his autobiography in 1997. In February 2005, he was hospitalized with a viral infection, and a month later, was hospitalized again with congestive heart failure after being found unconscious. Falwell had been diagnosed with heart problems, and it is believed that his heart simply stopped. He was found unconscious while working in his office at Liberty University, and was pronounced dead at the age of 73 at the Lynchburg General Hospital.

Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson