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My Jerry Falwell Story - “Mistaken for an Assassin”
Well, do I seem like the kind of person who would be mistaken for an assassin?
When I was in college, I almost got killed in the “line of fire.”
It all started at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. I was active in
politics. I was even the president of the SIU College Republicans. Jerry Falwell, the
TV minister from the Old Time Gospel Hour, was at that time president of a political
organization called, “The Moral Majority.” He was very well known and very
controversial. He was scheduled to be on campus and speak at a dinner. A local
business group sponsored the event.
One of the sponsors was a friend of mine and gave me a ticket. I had plans to
attend the 7 p.m. event. However, that afternoon I was in the student center study
lounge on the second floor reading. Jerry Falwell had arrived on campus early and
was on the same floor doing various interviews with the press. Outside the student
center were hundreds of liberal, left wing groups demonstrating against Falwell and
his organization. In fact, I learned later that there were even threats against his life.
Around 5 p.m. I left the study lounge to go to my apartment to change clothes for
the event that evening. While I was leaving, I walked down the hall, and to my
surprise, Jerry Falwell was coming right at me. He was surrounded by a group of
bodyguards followed by several others. I thought that this was my opportunity to
promote our SIU College Republican Club. We had these buttons, like the old time
political campaign buttons, that said “SIU College Republicans.”
So, as Mr. Falwell was approaching, I reached into my jacket pocket to pull out a
button to give him. Yes, you guessed it. His bodyguard thought that I was pulling
out a gun from my pocket. One of the guards, about 6 feet tall and over 200
pounds, knocked me down, pulled out his gun, and Jerry Falwell was rushed to the
next room. I was pushed and I slid on the floor a good six feet. A gun was in my
face. My face turned three shades of red. I said, “All I wanted to do was give him
this button!”
Well, the story isn’t over yet. That evening shortly after I arrived to the dinner, I
heard my name over the speaker system. “Would Gordon Wayman please report to
the information desk in the lobby?” I thought, “What in God’s name have I done
now. It was only a button!” Apparently, the friend that gave me the ticket to the
dinner was one of the people walking behind Jerry when the incident in the student
center had occurred. He had told Jerry who I was. I was brought back stage. Mr.
Falwell wanted to meet me and apologize for the actions of his security guards.
Mr. Falwell was real nice about the whole thing. He even gave me a nice gift, a
“Jesus First” gold lapel pen, which I have to this day. We chatted for a couple of
minutes, and I gave him my SIU College Republican button, which I am sure he does
not have to this day.
After the dinner and speech, Mr. Falwell worked the crowd and shook hands with
people by table. I was sitting with a group of friends, however, I had not had time to
tell them about the incident. When Falwell came to our table, he patted me on the
back and said, “Gordon, my Republican friend!” My friends looked at me with big
eyes and said, “Do you know Jerry Falwell?” I said, “Oh, we go way back!”
The Above Story is from my book, While You Do Your Business.
Order by book by clicking on the book below.
IN MEMORY OF MY FRIEND DR. JERRY FALWELL
