Career
Applewhite moved to New York in an unsuccessful attempt to launch a professional singing career upon finishing his education in Colorado. He then taught at the University of Alabama. He lost his position there after pursuing a sexual relationship with a male student; his church did not support same-sex relationships and he was subsequently frustrated by his sexual desires. He separated from his wife when she learned of the affair in 1965, and they divorced three years later.
After leaving the University of Alabama, Applewhite moved to Houston, Texas, in 1965 to teach at the University of St. Thomas. His students regarded him as an engaging speaker and a stylish dresser. He served as chair of the music department; he also became a locally popular singer, serving as the choral director of an Episcopal church and performing with the Houston Grand Opera. In Texas, he was briefly openly gay but also pursued a relationship with a young woman, who left him under pressure from her family, greatly upsetting him. He resigned from the University of St. Thomas in 1970, citing depression and other emotional problems. Robert Balch and David Taylor, sociologists who studied Applewhite's group, speculate that this departure was prompted by another affair between Applewhite and a student. The president of the university later recalled that he was often mentally jumbled and disorganized near the end of his employment.
In 1971, Applewhite briefly moved to New Mexico, where he operated a delicatessen. He was popular with customers but decided to return to Texas later that year. His father died around that time; the loss took a significant emotional toll on him, causing severe depression. His debts mounted, forcing him to borrow money from friends.
Read more about this topic: Marshall Applewhite
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