L. Ron Hubbard

Founder of the Church of Scientology

  • Born: March 13, 1911
  • Birthplace: Tilden, Nebraska
  • Died: January 24, 1986
  • Place of death: Creston, near San Luis Obispo, California

American religious organizer and writer

Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology to manifest the message of his popular book Dianetics, which promotes a philosophy of self-realization and self-fulfillment through rehabilitating one’s soul. Hubbard was a cultlike savior for some and a fraud to others, and Scientology, which remains strong into the twenty-first century, is both revered and reviled.

Areas of achievement Literature, religion and theology, business and industry

Early Life

L. Ron Hubbard was born in Tilden, Nebraska, to a father who spent his career in the U.S. Navy and a mother who was a high school teacher. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., but did not graduate with a degree. He made his living as an author during the 1930’s, writing short stories and novellas. Among his best-known works from that period were Final Blackout and Fear. He married Margaret Grubb in 1933, and the couple had two children (L. Ron, Jr., and Katherine May) in 1934 and 1936, respectively.

Hubbard followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Navy in 1941. He left active service in 1945 and resigned his commission in 1950. There are many inconsistencies between his own accounts of his military service and official accounts of the Navy.

In 1950 he published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which promoted a philosophy of self-improvement. The book sold 150,000 copies in its first year of publication. A major part of the work is an elaboration of the concept of “auditing,” in which two individuals conduct a question-and-answer session about difficult times and painful memories in the life of the person seeking assistance and change. While Hubbard’s public life, including success as an author, was thriving, his private life was in shambles. He had been accused of bigamy and was facing a divorce that included accusations of kidnapping, torture, and beatings.

In 1952-1953 he worked to expand Dianetics into a religion, founding the Church of Scientology in 1953 in Camden, New Jersey, to promote the book’s message. Hubbard moved to England shortly thereafter and bought a manor in Sussex, where he set up the world headquarters of Scientology. Members of the church paid for courses and other services with generous donations, leaving the church, and Hubbard, with a positive cash flow. Hubbard even implied that forming a church was a great way to succeed in business.

Life’s Work

Hubbard’s work extended beyond his development of Scientology. He made contributions to areas as diverse as education, drug-abuse prevention and treatment, the arts, music, and literature. Educators are aware of his promotion of the concept of “study tech,” in which one analyzes the barriers individuals reach when attempting to study a concept or field about which they know nothing. He suggests overcoming these barriers through demonstrations (to concretize the concept), careful selection of a “gradient” (for example, how fast the material progresses), and much emphasis on understanding specific words. Professional educators would not disagree with any of these techniques; they do disagree, however, that these techniques were created by Hubbard.

Hubbard also developed drug-rehabilitation programs, namely Narconon, which are packaged and marketed through the Church of Scientology. In music, he developed one solution to the problem of orchestral instruments canceling each other out during a performance. Called “the laws of proportionate sound,” this was not a concept unknown or unstudied by professional musicians.

Scientology was embraced by people worldwide, but it began to face difficulties in the 1960’s. The church became highly scrutinized by the governments of many countries. Certain actions by Scientologists led to accusations of criminal conduct. Hubbard moved several times to avoid the controversy, living in Rhodesia for a while and even commanding a fleet of ships on the Mediterranean.

Church of Scientology offices were raided in the 1970’s by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after the church was suspected of espionage. Hubbard’s third wife and some top officials were charged with conspiracy against the U.S. government in 1979. Hubbard, an “unindicted coconspirator” in the case, ceased managing the church but continued to receive a great deal of money from the organization for the distribution of his works on Scientology.

Hubbard supported, and even developed, some controversial positions, which resonated for years. His idea of “fair game” is believed by many to justify illegal and violent acts by members of his church. Fair game supports the use of criminal behavior or deception against “suppressive persons,” those who actively seek to harm Scientology or Scientologists. In practice, Hubbard exhorted church members to do whatever was necessary in the name of the church, be it trickery, lawsuits, or even “destroying” those who oppose Scientology.

After his retirement from the church, Hubbard wrote again in the science fiction genre, as he did in his early years. He died at his ranch in Creston, California, on January 24, 1986. Not surprisingly, controversy surrounded the circumstances of his death: last-minute changes to his will and allegations that psychotropic drugs were found in his body at the time of death.

Significance

Hubbard said that “There are only two tests of a life well lived. Did one do as one intended? And were people glad one lived?” Over his career he produced thousands of writings and tape-recorded lectures on dianetics and Scientology, and most would agree that this legacy was what he intended. The Church of Scientology counts in the “tens of millions” those who are glad that he lived. Using his own words, it seems he would have assessed his life as one well lived and one that was significant to the lives of many.

Hubbard’s supporters make many claims about his accomplishments and his alleged “superhuman” abilities. He has been depicted as a hero and savior by some and an unscrupulous individual and fraud by others. Some consider him an innovator and visionary, and still others argue his ideas (such as study tech) are not unique. The church is considered a cult by some (including former members) and a refuge by others. Nevertheless, his books, especially Dianetics, remain best sellers, and Scientology remains a global phenomenon that continues to attract new adherents.

Bibliography

Atack, Jon. A Piece of Blue Sky. New York: Lyle Stewart, 1990. A history of Hubbard and Scientology that criticizes Hubbard and the church.

Corydon, Bent. L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman? 1987. New ed. Fort Lee, N.J.: Barricade Books, 1992. Although the title might lead one to believe that this book presents both positive and negative views of Hubbard, the book is a critique of Hubbard as a person and a leader. Cowritten by L. Ron Hubbard, Jr. (as Ronald DeWolf), who was deeply critical of his father’s work. (Subsequent editions do not include Hubbard, Jr., as a coauthor.) Detailed and well documented.

Hubbard, L. Ron. Dianetics: The Science of Mental Health. Los Angeles: Bridge, 2000. In 601 pages, Hubbard outlines his science of dianetics, which formed the basis for the Church of Scientology. Contents: “The Goal of Man,” “The Single Source of All Inorganic Mental and Organic Psychosomatic Ills,” and “Therapy.” Includes an index.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗, ed. What Is Scientology? Los Angeles: Bridge, 1993. An exhaustive compendium detailing Scientology, the church, and Hubbard’s life.

Melton, J. Gordon. The Church of Scientology. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 2000. Melton, a religious scholar, provides a concise book that summarizes Scientology and Hubbard’s contributions. There is some controversy over whether this is a “balanced” treatment of the subject or not; however, the book attempts not to take sides.

Monsma, Stephen. When Sacred and Secular Mix: Religious Nonprofit Organizations and Public Money. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000. Hubbard made a major business from charging fees for Church of Scientology publications and training materials. This book examines that method in depth.

What Is Scientology? Based on the Works of L. Ron Hubbard. Los Angeles: Bridge, 1998. An exhaustive compendium on Scientology and Hubbard’s life, compiled by Church of Scientology international staff. Includes an index.

Widder, William J. L. Ron Hubbard: Master Storyteller. Commerce, Calif.: Galaxy Press, 2003. A well-illustrated book that chronicles Hubbard’s science fiction. Published by a company that specializes in his works.

1901-1940: 1938-1950: Golden Age of American Science Fiction.

1941-1970: February 18, 1954: Hubbard Founds the Church of Scientology; June 1, 1961: Heinlein Publishes Stranger in a Strange Land.