L. Ron Hubbard

L. Ron Hubbard was a pulp science fiction writer who wrote Dianetics and founded Scientology. He died in 1986.

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Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard

Who started Scientology? Did L. Ron Hubbard start Scientology to make money? What was L. Ron Hubbard like?

Navy Report

February 5, 1942: Naval officer L. Ron Hubbard writes a report; in it, he quotes Commander L. D. Causey, the US Naval Attache to Australia, as saying, "I have sent a message to the CinC Asiatic as of this morning stating that I wish you to be removed from Brisbane, stating that you are making a nuisance of yourself. You have never been under my orders and I consider you as having nothing to do with me."

Army Report

February 13, 1942: A document purportedly written by US Army Colonel Alexander L. P. Johnson to the Commander of the Base Force, Darwin, Australia describes L. Ron Hubbard as "an intelligent, resourceful and dependable officer" and recommends that an earlier (unspecified) request be granted.

Navy Memo

February 14, 1942: A memo from the US Naval Attache to Australia complains about L. Ron Hubbard: "By assuming unauthorized authority and attempting to perform duties for which he has no qualifications, he became the source of much trouble. ... This officer is not satisfactory for independent duty assignment. He is garrulous and tries to give impressions of his importance. He also seems to think that he has unusual ability in most lines. These characteristics indicate that he will require close supervision for satisfactory performance of any intelligence duty."

LRH Letter to Navy

October 8, 1942: L. Ron Hubbard writes the Chief of Naval Personnel asking that he be nominated to "PC school".

Navy Letter

February 5, 1943: The Navy forwards to L. Ron Hubbard a letter from a Dave Margolis. Margolis wrote to the Navy requesting that it make Hubbard pay an unpaid bill. The Navy instructs Hubbard to attend to the matter.

Navy Letter

October 18, 1943: L. Ron Hubbard writes a letter to the Navy asking for orders taking him into combat duty.

Aleister Crowley telegram

May 22, 1946: Aleister Crowley cables his US office after reading reports from his branch headquarters in America and Jack Parsons's accounts of the occult ceremony he had performed with L. Ron Hubbard: "Suspect Ron playing confidence trick--Jack Parsons weak fool--obvious victim prowling swindlers." In a letter a few days later he said, "It seems to me on the information of our brethren in California that Parsons has got an illumination in which he lost all his personal independence. From our brother's account he has given away both his girl and his money. Apparently it is the ordinary confidence trick."

Navy Letter

February 19, 1948: L. Ron Hubbard writes to the US Navy, asking that his previous letter of resignation be disregarded, in response to a reply from the Chief of Naval Personnel regretting Hubbard's decision to resign.

Navy Letter

May 1, 1951: L. Ron Hubbard writes to the Veterans Administration stating that he is "willing to submit to a physical examination in connection with my claim for disability compensation." By 1951, he had already sold many copies of Dianetics, in which he claims that his "research" had enabled him to completely cure himself of all the injuries and maladies he suffered during the war.

L. Ron Hubbard in the News

Datesort icon Title Blurb Tags
March 16, 1992 Vault Will Hold Hubbard Writings Beacon Journal: Vault Will Hold Hubbard Writings L. Ron Hubbard
October 1, 1991 Scientology - A Dangerous Cult Goes Mainstream The Church of Scientology, started by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard to "clear" people of unhappiness, portrays itself as a religion. In reality, the church is a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner. At times during the past decade, revelations in the media and prosecutions against Scientology seemed to be curbing its menace. But now the group, which is trying to go mainstream, threatens to become insidious and pervasive than ever. Cynthia Kisser, David Miscavige, deaths, Dorothy Geary, front groups, L. Ron Hubbard, Margaret Singer, Noah Lottick, Press, Robert Geary, Scientology and Society, Vicki Aznaran
March 31, 1991 An Unwelcome Proclamation Gov. Edgar's rescinding of "L. Ron Hubbard Day" two weeks after it was held makes many wonder what possessed the governor to declare a day for L. Ron Hubbard in the first place. Some might say that when it comes to "helping," the late Hubbard's Church of Scientology is a ripoff that helped itself to thousands of dollars members paid for so-called counseling sessions. Others say the organization is a cult. L. Ron Hubbard, Press
July 4, 1990 Church Building Vault To Store Works Of L. Ron Hubbard San Jose Mercury News: Church Building Vault To Store Works Of L. Ron Hubbard L. Ron Hubbard
June 30, 1990 Headline: Hubbard's Scientology Universe Unlimited St. Paul Pioneer Press: Headline: Hubbard's Scientology Universe Unlimited L. Ron Hubbard
June 28, 1990 cos's strategies to turn Hubbard's books into bestsellers Los Angeles Times: cos's strategies to turn Hubbard's books into bestsellers L. Ron Hubbard
June 28, 1990 Los Angeles Times: Costly Strategy Continues to Turn Out Bestsellers In some cases, sales of Hubbard's books apparently got an extra boost from Scientology followers and employees of the publishing firm. Showing up at major book outlets like B. Dalton and Waldenbooks, they purchased armloads of Hubbard's works, according to former employees. L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, CA, Press
June 24, 1990 Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's development of Scientology Los Angeles Times: Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's development of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard
June 24, 1990 L. Ron Hubbard's eccentricities Los Angeles Times: L. Ron Hubbard's eccentricities L. Ron Hubbard
June 24, 1990 L. Ron Hubbard's years in hiding Los Angeles Times: L. Ron Hubbard's years in hiding L. Ron Hubbard

L. Ron Hubbard in the News

Datesort icon Title Blurb Tags
October 21, 1974 Jane Kember, Guardian World Wide, Guardian Order 1361. Its Jane Kember, the Guardian World Wide, issues Guardian Order 1361. Its "operating targets" include getting agents to infiltrate IRS offices in Washington DC and Los Angeles and obtaining all documents on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. Guardian Office, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles
December 31, 1973 Office, Public Information, US Department, Justice, FBI, Dianetics, Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. FBI A citizen writes to the Office of Public Information of the US Department of Justice writes to the FBI asking for information on Dianetics, Scientology, and L. Ron Hubbard. The letter is forwarded to the FBI. L. Ron Hubbard
June 25, 1973 L. Ron Hubbard, (California, Washington, D.C., Michigan, Minnesota, New York) L. Ron Hubbard and representatives of five churches of Scientology (California, Washington, D.C., Michigan, Minnesota and New York) sign a document "to memorialize in writing" a trust arrangement they said had been in existence since July 18, 1962. The five churches agree to tithe 10 percent of their monthly incomes to the trust fund. Hubbard, as the sole trustee, is to be responsible for managing, administering and disposing of the fund. A month later, a new agreement will show Hubbard resigning as trustee and place responsibility for the fund in the hands of a three-member board of trustees, one of whom was Mary Sue Hubbard. The agreement will give Mrs. Hubbard life tenure and the power to appoint the other two trustees for two-year terms. L. Ron Hubbard
April 20, 1973 Guardian Order 732 L. Ron Hubbard writes Guardian Order 732, in which he devises the Snow White Program for Scientology's intelligence agency, the Guardian's Office (GO), in an effort to root out and remove "false files" about the Church and Hubbard held by governments around the world. This becomes a sophisticated worldwide espionage operation targetting 17 governments and three international organisations. Guardian Office, L. Ron Hubbard
January 12, 1972 Black Propaganda L. Ron Hubbard issues GO 111212, "Black Propaganda." It will later be cancelled and reissued as OSA Network Order 15 on February 18, 1988. Guardian Office, L. Ron Hubbard
December 27, 1971 FBI, Copenhagen Legat, L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology. It, FBI, (Hubbard's The director of the FBI writes to the Copenhagen Legat, apparently in response to an inquiry about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. It repeats the usual FBI information (Hubbard's wife claimed he was "hopelessly insane," and medical advisors recommended he be treated for paranoid schizophrenia). It also mentions the FDA raid. L. Ron Hubbard
May 7, 1971 Secret: Notes on Smersh L. Ron Hubbard writes GO [Guardian Order] 070571 LRH "Secret: Notes on Smersh." (He took the word from the James Bond novels to refer to an international conspiracy that he believed was directing the attack on him.) An excerpt: "Penetration is always a win. We have made it in finding WHO attacks Scientology from where by doing what. This gives us an ever further penetration. We have found as well the EX intelligence officer mouth pieces [sic] in the UK that influence that government and push Nazi aims. We are getting even further penetration now into who is keeping this planet upset." Guardian Office, L. Ron Hubbard
February 1, 1968 L. Ron Hubbard, _Avon River_ ship. According L. Ron Hubbard asks for volunteers to accompany him on a special mission on the _Avon River_ ship. According to "Bare-Faced Messiah": "Hubbard accepted thirty-five volunteers for the mission and for the next few weeks conducted daily training sessions on the deck of the Avon River, often watched by envious students hanging over the rails of the Royal Scotman moored alongside in Valencia harbour. With a stop watch in one hand, the Commodore put the crew through innumerable drills to rescue men overboard, fight fires, handle lines, launch and retrieve small boats and repel boarders - he told them he was worried about piracy in the Mediterranean and wanted to be sure they would not panic if that circumstance arrived. At the beginning of March the Avon River set sail, leaving the Royal Scotman seething with speculation about the nature of her mission. ... Hubbard mustered the crew on the well deck for a briefing. ... He had accumulated vast wealth in previous lives, he explained, and had buried it in strategic places. The purpose of their present mission was to locate this buried treasure and retrieve it, either with, or without, the co-operation of the authorities." The buried treasure would never be found. L. Ron Hubbard
July 18, 1967 Internal Revenue Service, CSC's tax-exempt status, reasons:, * The Internal Revenue Service revokes CSC's tax-exempt status, citing three reasons: * Scientology practitioners are profiting from the "non-profit" Church; * The Church's activities are commercial; * The Church is serving the private interests of L. Ron Hubbard (a practice known as inurement). Scientology denounces the revocation, declares its intention to ignore the decision and withholds payment of taxes for the next 26 years. L. Ron Hubbard, taxes
February 1, 1967 L. Ron Hubbard, illness. Later, Ron's Journal 67, upper-level material: L. Ron Hubbard recovers from a serious illness. Later, in Ron's Journal 67, he describes this illness as being related to his development of the upper-level material: "So in January and February of this year, I became very ill, almost lost this body, and somehow or another brought it off and obtained the material, and was able to live through it. I am very sure that I was the first one that ever did live through any attempt to attain that material. This material I'm talking about, of course, is very upper level material and you will forgive me if I don't describe it to you in very broad detail because it's very likely to make you sick, too." [Jan & Feb 1967; exact dates unknown] L. Ron Hubbard