FROM THE FILES OF THE FBI #169
[very bad xerox copy]
1 - Name Check
1 - W.F. Woods
LEGAT, London (163-2106)
February 21, 1967
LAFAYETTE RONALD HUBBARD
FPC
Reurairtel dated February 7, 1967.
No investigation has been conducted by the Bureau concerning captioned
individual. However, Bufiles reveal that Hubbard was the founder and
president of the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation, Incorporated, which
was incorporated in New Jersey during April, 1950. The December 5, 1950,
issue of "Look" magazine contained an article entitled "Dianetics -
Science or Hoax?" which related that L. Ron Hubbard was an obscure writer
of pseudo-scientific pulp fiction prior to the publishing of his book
entitled "Dianetics." Hubbard's book asserts that "the creation of
dianetics is a milestone for man, comparable to his discovery of fire and
superior to his inventions of the wheel and the arch ... the intelligent
layman can successfully and invariably treat all psychosomatic ills and
inorganic aberrations," according to Hubbard. "These psychosomatic ills,
uniformly cured by dianetic therapy, include much varied maladies as eye
trouble, bursitis, ulcers, some heart difficulties, migraine headaches and
the common cold." According to the article, Hubbard's book has "outraged
scores of psychiatrists, biochemists, psychologists, physicians and
just-plain-ordinary scientists, who look upon the astounding claims and
the growing commercial success of this strange new phenomenon with awe,
fear and a deep disgust ... Hubbard's greatest attraction to the troubled
is that his ersatz psychiatry is available to all. It's cheap. It's
accessible. It's a public festival to be played at clubs and parties."
During March, 1951, the Board of Medical Examiners, State of New Jersey,
had a case against the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation (HDRF)
scheduled for trial on the grounds that the organization was conducting a
school, teaching a branch of medicine and surgery, without a license.
In 1951 the HDRF established national headquarters at Wichita, Kansas, and
sponsored the Allied Scientists of the World, which organization had as
its avowed purpose "to construct and stock a library ... in an atomic
proof area where
WFW:blk
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[page 2]
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard
FPC
the culture and technology of the United States could be stored in a state
of use by science and preserve it in case of attack."
The April 24, 1951, issue of the "Times Herald," Washington, D.C.,
revealed that Hubbard's wife charged in a divorce that "competent medical
advisors recommended that Hubbard be committed to a private sanitarium for
psychiatric observation and treatment of a mental ailment known as
paranoid schizophrenia."
Allegedly, during 1952, Hubbard formed the Hubbard Association of
Scientologists, an Arizona corporation, and reverted "dianetics" back to
its original name, "scientology." Thereafter, offices were opened in New
Jersey; London, England; and Australia.
During the early part of 1956, HDRF, Silver Spring, Maryland, was
circulating a pamphlet entitled "Brain-Washing, A Synthesis of the Russian
Textbook on Psychopolitics." According to the book, psychopolitics is the
"art and science of asserting and maintaining dominion over the thoughts
and loyalties of individuals, officers, bureaus, and masses, and the
effecting of the conquest of enemy nations through mental health.'"
In the past Hubbard has corresponded with this Bureau and Department of
Justice on several occasions for various reasons, including complaints
about his wife and about alleged communists. In one lengthy letter in
May, 1951, it is perhaps noteworthy that Hubbard stated that while he was
in his apartment on February 23, 1951, about two or three o'clock in the
morning, his apartment was entered. He was knocked out. A needle was
thrust into his heart to produce a coronary thrombosis and he was given an
electric shock. He said his recollection of this incident was now very
blurred, that he had no witnesses and that the only other person who had a
key to the apartment was his wife.
Numerous inquiries have been received by this Bureau concerning Hubbard
and the various organizations established by him.
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[page 3]
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard
FPC
On January 4, 1963, representatives of the Food and Drug Administration
seized "E-meter" devices from the District of Columbia headquarters of
Hubbard's organization. The meters were seized on the grounds that they
were misbranded.
The "Saturday Evening Post" thereafter carried an article regarding this
seizure and Hubbard, and described Hubbard as having become wealthy from
the proceeds of his church and stating that he received ten per cent of
all fees generated through examinations conducted by persons trained in
use of his "E-meter" machines.
In November of 1965, a citizen provided a copy of a pamphlet entitled
"What Everyone Should Know About Scientology." The citizen provided this
pamphlet inasmuch as his granddaughter had become a member of the
organization. Page four of this pamphlet has a caption "Scientology As A
Religion," which states as follows:
"Philosophy dealing with the individual as a spirit is normally classed as
a religion. The same type of material as Scientology was attempted about
[?-possibly 3],500 years ago by one Gautama Siddhartha and became the
world's oldest civilized religion, known as Buddhism. Laws of life,
exteriorization and other materials of Buddhism are similar to
Scientology. Scientology however, is able to achieve results even in
early stages that Buddhism could not. This does not make Scientology
Buddhism but it does place it firmly in the area of religion.
"Theosophy, organized as a body of knowledge similar in text to
Scientology has been declared a religion by U.S. Federal Courts.
"Scientology is therefore a religion. The only question was whether or
not its organizations should be formal churches and auditors ministers.
Some Scientology Organizations have become Churches, some as in Australia
have remained simply religious fellowships. There has never been any
serious question of Scientology being a religion since by definition
knowledge and study of man as a spiritual, rather than an animal, being is
of course religious."
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[page 4]
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard
FPC
In January of 1966, the Defense Communications Agency provided a copy of a
memorandum submitted by Colonel Charles C. Mack of the United States Air
Force after he had unintentionally attended the Scientology Congress at
the Washington Hilton Hotel on Saturday, January 1, 1966. Colonel Mack
advised that he had sat in on a film show of the leader giving a lecture.
He advised that they stated or implied that they were against police
authority, did not believe in any religion and said, among other things,
that the Government's sole responsibility was to kill people.
On September 13, 1963, Captain Dean Phillips, Seattle, Washington, Police
Department advised that on September 11, 1963, William J. Fisk, Seattle,
Washington, head of a religious mystical church was shot to death before
members of his group in the Seattle headquarters of the Church of
Scientology of Washington State. Russell Edward Johnson surrendered to
the Seattle, Washington, Police Department. He was charged with the
premeditated killing and his apparent motive was his belief that his
wife's estrangement from him resulted from the instructions given to this
group by Fisk. Literature and correspondence in possession of the
deceased was obtained by the Seattle Police Department and indicated that
the group was affiliated with the Founding Church of Scientology, also
known as Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, Founder, Hubbard Association of
Scientologists International.
There is attached a copy of FBI Identification Record 244 210 B
concerning LaFayette Ronald Hubbard who appears to be identical with the
subject of your inquiry.
Enclosure
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