Description: (Religious leader)
Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr. was an American religious leader known for founding the Heaven's Gate new religious movement. Initially pursuing a career in education and serving in the United States Army, he later resigned from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Alongside Bonnie Nettles, Applewhite developed a close friendship and together they traveled across the U.S. to share their views. They attracted a group of dedicated followers who believed they would be visited by extraterrestrials and ascend to a spaceship for transformation.