| March 30, 1951 | Zilboorg Denounces 'Dianetics' at Forum | The practice of "dianetics," a theory for the treatment of psychosomatic and other ills, was attacked as "dangerous" by Dr. Gregory Zilboorg, psychiatrist. Dr. Zilboorg declared the book was "unfair to human beings" in promising the hope of cures by persons without scientific or medical training. | |
| April 3, 1951 | Dianetics Group to Quit City Because 'We're Not Wanted' | The Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation, target of a suit accusing it of operating a medical school without a license, is moving its national headquarters out of Elizabeth because it has no desire to remain where it is not wanted. Transfer of the national headquarters to Wichita, Kan., effective April 15 was announced by the foundation. A spokesman indicated the principal reason is the pending District Court suit. | |
| April 11, 1951 | Hiding of Baby Charged to Dianetics Author | Mrs. Sara-Northrup Hubbard, 25, yesterday charged that her husband, L. Ron Hubbard, 40, inventor of "Dianetics," a new brand of psychology, had conspired to hide her baby from her. In a nine-page petition for a writ of habeas corpus she stated she had not seen the child Alexis Valorie, 13 months old, since February 23rd when the child was taken from her nursery and she herself' was "kidnapped" and taken to Yuma, Arizona. | |
| April 15, 1951 | Dianetics Man Reports He's in Cuban Hospital | Mrs. Sara N. Hubbard, suing L. Ron Hubbard, inventor of dianetics, for divorce or annulment, disclosed yesterday that she has received a letter from him mailed in Cuba which assures her that her 13-month old daughter Alexis Valore "is getting excellent care." The missive further stated that in the event of Hubbard's death the child "will get a fortune" unless Mrs. Hubbard should obtain the baby's custody. In that event, Hubbard was said to have warned, the child would receive nothing. | |
| April 17, 1951 | Hubbard's Daughter With Him In New Jersey | Dianetics founder L. Ron Hubbard's infant daughter, whom Hubbard last week was accused of snatching and hiding somewhere in the county, is instead with her father in New Jersey. The wife, Mrs. Sara Northrup Hubbard, 25, charged her child, was placed in the nursery the same night Hubbard allegedly forced her from her apartment and drove her to Arizona under threats he would kill her. | |
| April 23, 1951 | Wife of Dianetics Founder Asks Divorce on Cruelty Grounds | L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Dianetics Research Foundation, was sued for divorce by his wife, Sarah Northrup Hubbard, on charges that he had another wife when he married her, and subjected her to "systematic torture" which threatened her life. The complaint also outlined a long series of alleged abuses, charging that Hubbard "dominated her, physically and mentally, and subjected her to a systematic torture, including beatings, loss of sleep, strangulation and scientific torture experiments."
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| March 27, 1953 | Arrest Gives Pair Fine New Engrams | Two Dianetics practitioners were arrested and released in Detroit. Police are deciding whether to bring charges, and what charges to bring. Six E-meters were seized. | |
| March 21, 1964 | Have You Ever Been A Boo-Hoo? | A look at Scientology at St. Hill in the 1960s: The feats Hubbard claims for his science are just as unusual. At various times Hubbard has held that Scientology "can cure some seventy percent of man's illnesses," that it is the only effective counterforce to the H-bomb threat and that it can make you immune to the common cold. He maintains that Scientology can raise a person's I.Q. one point for every hour of auditing. | |
| November 15, 1968 | Life: A Growing Cult Reaches Dangerously into the Mind | Scientology is scary -- because of its size and growth, and because of the potentially disastrous techniques it so casually makes use of. To attain the Truth, a Scientologist surrenders himself to "auditing," a crude form of psychoanalysis. | |
| April 20, 1970 | Dear South End - Scientology | A chapter of the Church of Scientology is now in the process of forming on the campus of Wayne State. These people seem quite sincere in what they are doing. They want to make the world a better place in which to live by making man better. However, their sincerity seems more like $incerity. The first of four levels cost only $650.00 and as far as I could tell each successive level costs more. | |
| April 1, 1972 | Author Here Sues Scientologists | Paulette Cooper, a freelance writer, has accused the Church of Scientology in a lawsuit filed here of "intentional interference" with her constitutional freedom of speech and press, charging that the organization threatened her in the form of libel suits and wiretapping after her critical book about the quasi-religious organization was published last fall. | |
| March 3, 1974 | Expensive Trip To Spirituality | The Church of Scientology of Missouri, a branch of a controversial organization promising total spiritual freedom for all followers, opened in 1969 with a six member staff at a small Brentwood office. Policy memorandums from the offices of the founder, L. Ron Hubbard, have not allayed Scientology's reputation as a paramilitary society that regards itself with messianic seriousness. | |
| March 4, 1974 | The Reclusive Founder of Scientology | Hubbard and church leaders contend that he has resigned from the church's directorship, but that resignation seems to have made little difference. In a "policy letter" dated Sept. 1, 1966, the matter was ambiguously worded. Hubbard said that he was "resigning the title of executive director" and was being given the title of "Founder" instead - and that Scientology organizations owed him money. | |
| March 5, 1974 | A System of Engrams and Thetans | Scientologists perceive their system as a form of spiritual engineering. They make radical-sounding claims about their ability to revamp the ailing human spirit and personality on what is purported to be scientifically-based procedures. | |
| March 6, 1974 | Hard Sell to Build the Faith | Growth and expansion come close to being an obsession of the Church of Scientology. From street pamphleting to sophisticated media exposure of Scientology celebrities, Scientologists solicit new recruits in a promotional whirlwind more often associated with used car salesmanship than with religion. | |
| March 7, 1974 | Counterattack: The Response To Criticism | The Church of Scientology does not turn the other cheek. Church policy is to find what attackers have to hide. The organization is quick to bring lawsuits challenging unfavorable books and articles. Many persons who leave or who are expelled by the church say that they are frightened by the organization. | |
| March 20, 1976 | Church of Scientology puts "Apollo" yacht up for sale | Los Angeles Times: Church of Scientology puts "Apollo" yacht up for sale | |
| September 23, 1976 | Clearwater Sun: Police Hold Scientologists' Guns | Police confiscated a cache of weapons in a temporary Church of Scientology headquarters in Dunedin after the Scientologists abandoned the base | |
| November 3, 1979 | Clearwater Sun: Scientologists Plot City Takeover | The Church of Scientology of California had big plans for the unsuspecting community of Clearwater when it arrived there in November 1975. In essence, the sect wanted to control the city's politicians, media and religious groups. | |
| November 3, 1979 | Clearwater Sun: Scientologists Find Few Sympathizers After Latest Revelations | Residents Friday denounced the Church of Scientology after documents released by a federal judge a day earlier showed the cult wanted to "take control" of Clearwater. Many of the residents interviewed were not familiar with details of the case, but most expressed a strong hostility toward church members. | |
| November 3, 1979 | Clearwater Sun: Judge Rules Papers Available to Public | Documents revealing a Scientology espionage campaign against government agencies ranging from the IRS to the Clearwater City Commission were declared open to further public inspection by a federal judge. | |
| November 3, 1979 | Clearwater Sun: Shocked Officials Say They'll Fight | Church of Scientology documents released Thursday that outline the Scientologists' intention to control or "take over" the city left local government officials wondering Friday how the group planned to reach that goal - and what the city should do about it. | |
| April 11, 1980 | Church Papers Allowed In Suit | A Superior Court judge refused to prevent three former members of the Church of Scientology from using church documents as part of their damage suits against the church. He also ordered that the three large cartons of papers and records be impounded until a suit by church officials seeking return of the documents is tried. | |
| April 14, 1980 | Scientology Suit Says Secret Spa Was Labor Camp | A disillusioned former official of the Church of Scientology says sect founder L. Ron Hubbard has been secretly running the organization from a spa 80 miles east of Los Angeles. Sylvana Garritano, 25, described the Scientology enclave as "part insane asylum, part forced labor camp" ruled by the 69-year-old Hubbard and a dozen teen-age servants called "Commodore Messengers." | |
| April 22, 1980 | Scientologists Tried To Silence Enemies | The Las Vegas Church of Scientology attempted to silence its enemies and critics in Nevada by waging propaganda and espionage campaigns against Las Vegas law-enforcement and business agencies. Documents seized from the church by the FBI reveal the church on a national scale conspired to steal grand jury transcripts, attempted to infiltrate the CIA, and launched a myriad of dirty tricks against public officials. | |