[65] Applewhite and Nettles denied connection with the New Age movement, viewing it as a human creation. He's the key figure in a new docuseries, Heavens Gate: The Cult of Cults, streaming on HBO Max. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). . These vacations were intended to placate families by demonstrating that the disciples remained with the group of their own accord. [98] Members were encouraged to constantly seek Applewhite's advice and often ask themselves what their leaders would do when making a decision. [121] He then concluded that her spirit had traveled to a spaceship and received a new body and that his followers and he would do the same. Marshall Applewhite, leader of the Heaven's Gate cult, is shown in an undated image. He had a fantastic voice. He finished with a record as a starter of 228. A media circus followed the discovery of their bodies. 1. How miserable are some of y'all to try and do everything possible to make major look unqualified. Sex was a powerful drug, Applewhite said, and cult members had to go through a withdrawal process to overcome it. [4] Meanwhile, Major was seen attempting to rally the offense before they took to the field, even as the restless Texas fans booed Simms. Applewhite went 15-11 in two-plus seasons at the helm, succeeding Tom Herman, who was 22-4 at Houston before taking the head coaching job at Texas. Reactions: Jassid82. Going into the Texas A&M game (often referred to as the Bonfire Game, as it followed the death of 12 students during construction of A&M's annual bonfire). Applewhite initially stated that he and his followers would physically ascend to a spaceship, where their bodies would be transformed, but later he came to believe that their bodies were the mere containers of their souls, which would later be placed into new bodies. New names were part of the cults indoctrination, which aimed to separate followers from their previous lives. [143] In addition, he stated that evil extraterrestrials, whom he referred to as "Luciferians", sought to thwart his mission. Applewhite was a quarterback for the Texas Longhorns from 1998 to 2001. Marshall had recorded a video shortly before his passing, in which he rambled about UFO's and his beliefs, saying that these suicides were the "final exit" of his group . Hitching a ride on comet Hale-Bopp, they would soar through space to a better place, known as the Next Level.. Username and password are case sensitive. He came to a conclusion about his body, that it was abhorrent., Do held a meeting and he said that he had a nocturnal emission, and he was investigating having himself castrated, Sawyer says in the docuseries. Jones breaks three tackles, including one at the goal line, in completing a 17-yard sco. Applewhite, the cults guru, was a former music teacher at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Major Applewhite was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Houston before to taking the helm as head coach there in 2017. This crucial shift in thinking, the docuseries says, led to the mass suicide in 1997. [118] Applewhite maintained some aspects of their scientific teachings, but in the 1980s the group became more like a religion in its focus on faith and submission to authority. He is the current head coach for the University of Houston, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Prior to Texas, Applewhite served as offensive coordinator at Rice University under Todd Graham in 2006 and at Alabama under Nick Saban in 2007. Some commentators attributed his followers' willingness to commit suicide to his skill as a manipulator, while others argued that their willingness was due to their faith in the narrative that he constructed. [83] Applewhite and Nettles later explained to their followers that the former's treatment by the press was a form of assassination and had fulfilled their prophecy. Deceased 26 March 1997 - San Diego, San Diego Co., CA,aged 65 years old. Major Lee Applewhite (born July 26, 1978) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the South Alabama Jaguars. [78] He emphasized that students were free to disobey if they chose, in what Lalich dubs the "illusion of choice". [23], In early 2013, Applewhite admitted he was disciplined by the University of Texas for "having an inappropriate relationship with a student at the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. [26] In a public statement Applewhite commented on the affair: "Several years ago, I made a regretful decision resulting in behavior that was totally inappropriate. 7. Applewhite was enlisted in the Army in 1954 and served in the Army Signal Corps in New Mexico and Austria. Kearney's lawyer is likely trying to paint a picture that shows the former track coach was singled out. 776. A self-proclaimed prophet and messiah, he died in the group's mass suicide of 1997. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He lost it again following a season-ending knee injury in the Texas Tech game. harlingen, tx distance to mexican border . Major Applewhite, who served as Herman's offensive coordinator the last two seasons, was promoted to the job on Friday. 830A-Hazardous Material Control Management Technician. His tenure at the school was brief -- about two years in the early 1960s -- and took place about 12 years before Heavens Gate was formed. He led his group to commit . But Simms had a disastrous game and was responsible for four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble) in the first half of play. [26] His debts mounted, forcing him to borrow money from friends. [17], In 1965, after leaving UA, Applewhite moved to Houston to serve as chair of the music department at the University of St. [96] The two leaders limited the group's contacts with those outside the movement, even some who may have been interested in joining, ostensibly to prevent infiltration from hostile parties. (, The circumstances of Applewhite's introduction to Nettles are unclear: their meeting has been variously attributed to his seeking of treatment at a hospital, (. [109], In 1980, Applewhite and Nettles had about 80followers,[110] many of whom held jobs, often working with computers or as car mechanics. [29] They usually stayed at remote campgrounds and did not speak about their beliefs. You can find out how much net worth Major has this year and how he spent his expenses. In 1985, Nettles died of liver cancer, forcing Applewhite to take charge of the theological direction of the movement (only later renamed "Heaven's Gate . The two said theyd already reached a state of alien perfection, and were now existing in human vehicles to help others achieve the miraculous change. Email. Their bodies were found by police on March 26, 1997. Born 17 May 1931 - Spur, Dickens Co., TX. Marshall Herff Applewhite, Jr. was born in Spur, Texas to Louise Haecker Winfield and . [13] They wrote a pamphlet that described Jesus' reincarnation as a Texan, a thinly-veiled reference to Applewhite. [149][150] This series echoed many of the teachings of the 1988 update, although it introduced a "universal mind" of which its hearers could partake. Cult", "Cult Leader's Son Apologizes to Families Who Lost Loved Ones", INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements), Academic study of new religious movements, Religious discrimination against Neopagans, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marshall_Applewhite&oldid=1128076623, American members of the clergy convicted of crimes, Converts to new religious movements from Christianity, People extradited within the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Use shortened footnotes from November 2022, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 December 2022, at 07:12. Returning to Texas as a graduate assistant, Applewhite served in that position until early 2005 when he was offered the position of quarterbacks coach at Syracuse University by new head coach Greg Robinson, Texas' former defensive coordinator. Texas was ranked #5, but after Applewhite and backup quarterback Chris Simms was unable to produce Texas fell behind. In a blowout victory over Oklahoma, Applewhite threw a 97-yard touchdown pass to Wane McGarity, the longest pass in Texas history. How tall is Major Applewhite : 6 1 . [168], In October 1996, the group rented a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California. As the son of a Presbyterian pastor, Applewhite was raised in a pious household. T. Tit-e-skr Banned. In Division I-A schools at the time, Major Applewhite was the youngest offensive coordinator. [14] Given his ties to the Lone Star State, Applewhite targeted a couple of Texas high school prospects, including Lennon Creer. [170] He told his followers that the vessel would transport them to an empyrean destination, and that a government conspiracy was attempting to suppress word of the craft. The cult was featured in several books, television, media, and in the film, "Mysterious Two" in 1982, with actor John Forsythe portraying Marshall Applewhite. Marshall Applewhite, madeofants. [59] Parts of this teaching bear similarities to the Reformed Christian concept of election, likely owing to Applewhite's Presbyterian upbringing. [122], Religious scholar Catherine Wessinger posits that the suicides began on March22. This beautiful foyer was designed to be warm and inviting. Together with his three siblings, Applewhite grew up in a strong Christian background. [114] Applewhite told his followers that he had been left behind by Nettles because he still had more to learnhe felt that she occupied "a higher spiritual role" than he did. In perhaps his finest game, he led Texas from behind three times throwing for a school record 473 yards and four touchdowns. Led by two native Texans, Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, their group was comprised of very devout believers of some strange beliefs, which took some aspects of Christianity and married them to themes from sci-fi movies, namely belief in aliens, UFOs, and an ability to transcend their life on Earth by evolving . [198] Zeller argues that Applewhite's sexuality was not the primary driving force behind his asceticism, which he believes resulted from a variety of factors, though he grants sexuality a role. The son of a Presbyterian minister, Applewhite became very religious as a child.. Applewhite attended Corpus Christi High School and Austin College; at the latter school, he was active in several student . In 2013, he was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas. Nationality: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. [47][48] They kept a King James Version of the Bible with them and studied several passages from the New Testament, focusing on teachings about Christology, asceticism, and eschatology. Every person who understands underground dance music though, they will get it, they will love it. Names chosen for Heavens Gate members had six letters: three letters plus ODY, all of which were capitalized. [160] Davis speculates that this rejection may have encouraged him to attempt to leave Earth. He planned mass suicide by his supporters in 1997 with the hope of being transported on board a spacecraft. He led Texas back to within two points, but eventually Texas would come up short losing 3937 after an onside kick attempt failed.[5]. "(Courtesy of HBO Max), 2. [136] He feared a government raid on their home and spoke highly of the Jewish defenders of Masada in ancient Israel who showed total resistance to the Roman Empire. It is the largest mass suicide to occur inside the U.S. As a young man, Applewhite attended several universities and served in the United States Army. The couple have two children, Lila and Nash, together. [116][117], Applewhite began to emphasize a strict hierarchy, teaching that his students needed his guidance, as he needed the guidance of the Next Level. The project, directed by Clay Tweel, relies on the testimony of former cult members -- some of whom still believe in the concepts Heavens Gate espoused -- as well as family members and friends of those who died, sociologists, researchers who specialize in alternative religious movements and more. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [113] In 1988, they mailed a document that detailed their beliefs to a variety of New Age organizations. Applewhite was previously the quarterbacks coach at Syracuse University in 2005. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). 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