Falwell’s mountains

Until the past 30 years, many Baptists (and evangelicals generally) tended toward separatism, refraining from political involvement. Jerry Falwell was instrumental in changing all that. He persuaded millions around the country to dive into the muck of politics, and those efforts splattered the windshields of others who became hostile. He energized both supporters and opponents | Marvin Olasky

LYNCHBURG, Va.— Realtor Brenda Phelps likes to point out the sights to those contemplating a move to Lynchburg: "There's Jerry's church. There's Jerry's mountain." Once, when asked if Jerry Falwell personally owned that land overlooking the city, she said no, Liberty University did—"but it's Jerry's mountain."

Lynchburg is one of those cities that, in the Roman tradition, claim to be built on seven hills, and Jerry Falwell, who died on May 15 at age 73, was a man of many mountains. He's probably best known for founding the Moral Majority in 1979 and quickly growing it to 6.5 million members: It played a major role in electing Ronald Reagan but faded in the late 1980s.

Liberty University is another Falwell mountain: It began as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 and several times seemed leveled financially, but it now claims almost 10,000 students in residence, with 15,000 more in distance learning programs. He hoped some day to have Liberty play Notre Dame in football, and joked to WORLD last month that he was officially Liberty's chancellor but primarily its athletic director.