Jerry Falwell
Thursday, May 27, 2004

Well, if you ask Sen. Hillary Clinton she’d likely tell you that it is further evidence of a “vast right-wing conspiracy” that is out to destroy her husband’s so-called legacy and steer the nation toward mindless servitude to Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. (Maybe I should write the Democrats’ talking points.)

But the correct answer is: The new Helms School of Government at Liberty University. The Liberty University Board of Trustees has authorized the division of our schools of business and government into two separate schools, allowing us to dramatically improve the effectiveness and national reputations of each.

During the past 25 years, one of my political heroes and intimate friends has been America’s most consistent social, fiscal and political conservative, U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.). After more than three decades of successful service in the U.S. Senate (1973 – 2003), this man whom I call a “national treasure” has retired with his wife Dorothy to his home in the state he served well for so long.

Aristotle stated, “The fate of empires depends on the education of youth.” Those are powerful words that must inspire us to action. Sen. Helms and I have decided to pool our talents and resources to train thousands of young Christian conservatives to lead America in the 21st century. We have mutually agreed to establish the Helms School of Government at Liberty University.

Dr. Ronald S. Godwin, Ph.D., having once served as the first national director of the Moral Majority for 13 years and as the chief business officer of The Washington Times, has agreed to serve as the first dean of the Helms School of Government.

Dr. Godwin understands the kinds of graduates Sen. Helms and I want to send out to change our nation. We want to train the next generation of conservative local and state leaders, U.S. representatives and senators, governors, judges, public administrators, diplomats and law enforcement officials.

In addition, Dr. Godwin and I will call on our long years of associations in our nation’s capital and bring to Liberty’s campus a steady stream of the finest conservative thinkers and doers alive. A list of planned adjunct professors and visiting lecturers will soon be released. But I can report now that it is impressive and exciting. Prospective and current Liberty students may be absolutely certain that they will be exposed to the very best of the nation’s conservative strategists, activists, elected officials, journalists and specialists in all levels of state and federal government.

In addition, students will be given a greatly expanded list of internship opportunities in a wide variety of government-related career settings. Our goal for the Helms School of Government is to join with our Liberty University Schools of Law, Business, Education, etc., to make Liberty the world’s single-best source of Christian professionals.

I have spoken often in recent years about what I term my “fourth quarter of ministry.” Similarly, Sen. Helms and I want to spend our respective “fourth quarters” in service to our nation, helping to secure a solid base for continuing the cause of conservative, family-positive politics long after we have passed.

With our historic values being challenged as never before, we must accelerate our efforts to effectively enlist change, not only through the church, but through political and legal courses of action. I pray that Sen. Helms, born in 1921, still has many years to contribute to this cause.

During the past quarter century — since I founded the Moral Majority, which is now called the “religious right” by our critics — nearly 200,000 pastors, priests and rabbis and untold millions of religious conservatives, under many different banners and through multitudes of “religious right” organizations, have joined forces to do many noble things. We assisted in electing Ronald Reagan, two George Bushes, scores of socially conservative members of both houses of Congress and leading the charge against abortion-on-demand, same-sex marriage, the breakdown of the family, communism and, now, worldwide terrorism.

But we cannot simply hope for the best for America. We must train up future generations of leaders who will courageously and unapologetically champion the cause of conservatism. I truly believe that the Helms School of Law at Liberty University will be a place that sparks a national political offensive that literally changes the course of the American culture.