L. Ron Hubbard

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was an American author and the founder of Scientology.

He began his career as a prolific writer of pulp fiction. This type of fiction was often published in inexpensive magazines. He wrote in many genres, including adventure, mystery, and science fiction. His first full-length novel, Buckskin Brigades, appeared in 1937. Hubbard also wrote stories that were well-received by famous authors like Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov.

Hubbard's transition from fiction to belief systems began with a book titled Dianetics. Published in 1950, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was described as a pseudoscience. It focused on techniques for mental health. Hubbard established various organizations to promote these methods. In 1952, he created Scientology. This occurred after he lost the intellectual rights to his Dianetics literature during bankruptcy. Scientology grew to include principles of pedagogy, communication theory, and organizational management.

Hubbard was born on March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Nebraska. His father, Harry Ross Hubbard, was a low-ranking U.S. Navy officer. Because of his father's military career, the family moved frequently. They lived in Montana and traveled to Guam and parts of Asia. Hubbard attended George Washington University starting in 1930. He studied civil engineering but dropped out in his second year. He also had a difficult time in high school and failed the Naval Academy entrance exam. He claimed he used a diagnosis of myopia, or nearsightedness, as an excuse to avoid the academy.

During World War II, Hubbard served as an officer in the United States Navy.

He held the rank of lieutenant junior grade in the Naval Reserve. His military service included roles as an intelligence officer and a ship commander. However, he was removed from command on two separate occasions. Once, a yard commandant stated he was not temperamentally suited for independent command. In another instance, an investigation concluded he mistook a magnetic deposit for an enemy submarine. He spent the final months of his active service in a hospital.

After the war, Hubbard sought psychiatric help in Georgia. While acting as a lay analyst, or peer counselor, he began writing about Dianetics. In 1951, his wife Sara stated that experts diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia. She said they recommended lifelong hospitalization. However, modern psychologists like Rachel Bernstein disagree with this specific diagnosis. They suggest his behavior might have been explained by mania or drug-induced psychotic episodes. This period of his life was a major turning point for his future work.

As Scientology grew, it faced significant legal and media scrutiny. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Hubbard spent much of his time at sea. He acted as the "commodore" of the Sea Organization. This was a private, quasi-paramilitary fleet of Scientologist ships.

In 1978, the movement faced a major legal crisis. Eleven high-ranking members, including Hubbard's wife Mary Sue Hubbard, were indicted. They faced 28 charges related to the Snow White Program. This was a systematic program of espionage against the United States government.

Hubbard lived his final years in seclusion in the California desert. He was also convicted of fraud in absentia by France in 1978. Hubbard died on January 24, 1986. Following his death, Scientology leaders made a unique announcement. They stated that his body had become an impediment to his work. They claimed he decided to "drop his body" to continue research on another plane of existence.

While the Church describes him in hagiographic terms, many of his autobiographical claims were fictitious. Sociologists have also noted that he may have displayed a personality disorder known as malignant narcissism.