Although he never did officially sanction (or probably even know about) our great event; more than any other person we owe the late Dr. Falwell a sincere debt of gratitude. If you could think of the DRD, not in terms of a great athletic event only but as a fraternity forged by our experiences at Liberty mountain, then you understand that Dr. Falwell deserves our thanks.
He was a great man who stood athwart political history, a religious visionary with a deep-seated & Biblically informed faith in God's will, & a believer that, given the proper nurturing: a generation of young people dedicated to Christ could change their world for the better.
It was this last belief that led him to found our University - the institution under which the DRD (in the fraternal sense) was formed & flourished. Were it not for Dr. Falwell there would not be a DRD in any sense of the word and these priceless & enduring friendships that we gained on that mountain in South Central Virginia would be naught.
Joey DiCarlo (Salisbury, Maryland)
I never have forgotten his saying that "If it's Christian it Should be better." I loved his passion to represent Christ as giving people power to live above and beyond what they could in their natural selves. And his great faith to see God do incredible things was inspiring.
Brian Ballard (Asheville, North Carolina)
I believe Jerry Falwell has given me great example of vision and a life dream. The verse comes to mind, "if God is with us, who is against us." Jerry used sports and academics to build a huge following of believers behind him. He is and was a great encouragement to living for Jesus in this world with any job.
Stephen Meier (Bunker Hill, West Virginia)
This was taken in the Fall of 2002. Kim and I were on our way to a play and Jerry stopped us and asked to get a picture with us. That pretty much sums up how I will always remember the big guy.Brent Nieter (Chesapeake, Virginia)
The passing of Dr. Falwell forced me to take a look at the impact that this man made on my life. While I could count my direct interactions with him on one hand, the lessons he passed on were powerful. As people began to comment on his passing, I realized that this man accomplished more in his lifetime than most everyone I know combined. Here was a man who looked the impossible in the eye and took hold of it. He never quit and never gave in. His story of locking himself in a dorm room for hours everyday to force himself to learn to pray spoke to me about commitment, and how to chase after your dreams and goals. Dr. Jerry Falwell redefined what determination meant to me and his never-quit, but shoot for impossible mindset helped mold me into who I am today. And for that, I am ever grateful.
Bruce Kite (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
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