The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a long-time television evangelist and president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., died of a heart attack Tuesday after being found unconscious in his office.

Ron Godwin, executive vice president of the university, told reporters at a news conference that he had eaten breakfast with Falwell, who missed an appointment later that morning.

Falwell, who was hospitalized twice for problems with his heart and lungs in early 2005, was discovered in an unresponsive state at about 10:45 a.m.

Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician and a cardiologist at Lynchburg General Hospital, said that all efforts to revive the conservative Christian leader were unsuccessful.

Falwell was born in Lynchburg in 1933 and attended Lynchburg Community College, which he left during his sophomore year. He then transferred to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo., graduating in 1956.

The founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in an abandoned bottling plant during 1956 in Lynchburg, Falwell also founded Liberty University in 1971 and the Moral Majority conservative organization in 1979. He began publishing the National Liberty Journal, a politically conservative monthly newspaper, in 1995.

"The death of Dr. Jerry Falwell is a great loss to those of us in conservative Christianity," said the Rev. Louis Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition. "We are deeply saddened but look forward to that great and glorious day when we will join him to sit at the feet of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

"He was an inspiration to all of us who are involved in defending traditional values, and his courageous stand in the face of strong opposition is deeply appreciated," Sheldon added.

"Rev. Jerry Falwell gave his heart and soul to his family, his faith and his country," said Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, the parent organization of Cybercast News Service. "This is obvious when one looks at the decades of work he completed to grow his ministry, nurture his university and advance the conservative movement throughout the culture and in politics."

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, said in a statement that Falwell "motivated millions of Christian conservatives to engage the cultural and political issues of the day through politics. With his leadership and vision, he changed the landscape of American politics.

"As a pastor and a patriot, Dr. Falwell loved Jesus Christ and he loved America," Sekulow added. "He leaves a lasting legacy that will continue to influence the national scene for generations to come. He will be truly missed."

However, the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, took a different view of the long-time conservative.

"Jerry Falwell politicized religion and failed to understand the genius of our Constitution, but there is no denying his impact on American political life," Lynn said. "He will long be remembered as the face and voice of the Religious Right."