For now:

There is a push to name part of U.S. 460 after the late Falwell.

‘Jerry’s mountain’
    ”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 … 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 … that he was officially Liberty’s chancellor but primarily its athletic director.”
    – Marvin Olasky, writing on “Jerry’s Mountains,” in the May 26 issue of World

 From Facebook.com

 Excerpt:

In the late 1980s, when donations to his ministry dropped precipitously, Liberty University had racked up $73 million in debt and was on the brink of bankruptcy. Falwell’s “Old Time Gospel Hour” was $16 million in debt. But by 1997, an anonymous businessman had repaid creditors and staved off financial ruin.

Today, trustees say the university is on solid ground by any measure — enrollment or revenues — but critics wonder what shape his legacy will take in the future.

“The sentiment is Falwell Ministries … is going to do the same thing as Jerry: Focus on core, hot-button issues like abortion and gay rights,” said the Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “I think Liberty University could face trouble without him. It now has an accredited law school and a significant endowment that will allow it to stay around for a while. But without the figure of Jerry Falwell, it simply won’t be as attractive a place to go.”

Falwell Aviation is owned by the late Jerry’s cousin, Calvin, who is also part-owner of the Lynchburg Hillcats, the minor league baseball team in the ‘Burg, and Lawrence Falwell.

It is not clear how much, if any, financial interests Sr. had in the company.

Pam had a follow up in the paper this morning with comments from Tim LaHaye (LaHaye Ice Center ) and Mark DeMoss (DeMoss Learning Center.)

The interesting thing will not be how the school continues to grow — it will continue, I assure you — but how the perception of the institution might change. Jerry Jr. is not as outspoken in his beliefs as was his father. Perhaps the school will finally be seen for the economic driver it is, not for Falwell Sr.’s outlandish comments.

Shanna Flowers had a great column today.

Larry Flynt on Jerry Falwell (Thanks, Kantor)

“The Reverend Jerry Falwell and I were arch enemies for fifteen years. We became involved in a lawsuit concerning First Amendment rights and Hustler magazine. Without question, this was my most important battle – the l988 Hustler Magazine, Inc., v. Jerry Falwell case, where after millions of dollars and much deliberation, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in my favor.

“My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, years after the trial, Jerry Falwell and I became good friends. He would visit me in California and we would debate together on college campuses. I always appreciated his sincerity even though I knew what he was selling and he knew what I was selling.

“The most important result of our relationship was the landmark decision from the Supreme Court that made parody protected speech, and the fact that much of what we see on television and hear on the radio today is a direct result of my having won that now famous case which Falwell played such an important role in.”

Campus was very quiet. Many people were in shock. Students thought Falwell was invincible. Some commented that they believed he would live another 10 or even 15 years.

My partner in crime, Pam Podger, and I wrote for The Roanoke Times.

Although this is a sad event, I can tell you that things will change very little at the University. Administration was preparing for something like this — evident in Jerry Jr.’s growing responsibilities at the school in the past few years.

Jerry Jr. will replace Falwell as Chancellor.

Here is another story on his influence from TRT.

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — The Rev. Jerry Falwell was hospitalized in “gravely serious” condition Tuesday after being found unconscious in his office Tuesday, a Liberty University executive said.

Ron Godwin, executive vice president of Falwell’s university, said Falwell was found unconscious after missing an appointment Tuesday morning.

Falwell, a television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority, became the face of the religious right in the 1980s. He later became president of the conservative Liberty University. Falwell was hospitalized twice in early 2005 for heart and lung problems.