Paul Weyrich
Paul Michael Weyrich (/ˈweɪrɪk/; October 7, 1942 – December 18, 2008)[1][2][3][4] was an American religious conservative political activist and commentator associated with the New Right. He co-founded The Heritage Foundation,[5] the Free Congress Foundation, and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and coined the term "moral majority," the name of the political action group Moral Majority that he co-founded in 1979 with Jerry Falwell.
Paul Michael Weyrich
October 7, 1942
Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
December 18, 2008 (aged 66)
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
Joyce Smigun
5
Early life and education[edit]
Weyrich was born in Racine, Wisconsin, to Virginia M. (née Wickstrom) and Ignatius A. Weyrich.[6] His father was a German immigrant.[7] Weyrich graduated from St. Catherine's High School in 1960[8] and attended the University of Wisconsin–Racine for two years.[9]
Career[edit]
Journalism[edit]
He was active in the Racine County Young Republicans from 1961 to 1963 and in Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign. He spent his early career in journalism as a political reporter for the Milwaukee Sentinel as a political reporter and weekend anchor for WISN-TV in Milwaukee,[10] and in radio as a reporter for WAXO-FM in Kenosha, Wisconsin, WLIP-AM, and as news director of KQXI in Denver.
Ordination[edit]
After the Second Vatican Council, Weyrich transferred from the Latin Church of the Catholic Church to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and was ordained as a deacon in it.[9]
Personal life[edit]
Weyrich and his wife, Joyce Anne (née Smigun), who resided with him in Annandale, Virginia, had five children and 13 grandchildren.[9]
Spinal injury and disability[edit]
In 1996, Weyrich fell on black ice and was diagnosed with arachnoiditis, a spinal injury. From 2001 until his death in 2008, his injury left him in a wheelchair and in chronic pain. In July 2005, complications from the injury required bilateral, below-the-knee amputation of his legs.
Death[edit]
On December 18, 2008, Weyrich visited Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia for routine tests, and died there at age 66. His cause of death was not released. In addition to his spinal injury and amputation, Weyrich had been diagnosed previously with Type 2 diabetes.[9] On December 22, 2008, he was interred in Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia.[45]