L. Ron Hubbard – Church of Scientology FBI Files

Description

FBI Files: L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology

Timeline of Main Events:

• March 13, 1911: Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (L. Ron Hubbard) is born in Tilden, Nebraska.
• 1930 – 1932: Hubbard attends George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, studying civil engineering but does not graduate.
• Late 1930s: Hubbard writes science fiction, including the novel “Final Blackout.”
• June 1941: Hubbard joins the United States Navy.
• During WWII: Hubbard commands USS YP-422 (Atlantic) and USS PC-815 (Pacific).
• 1945: USS PC-815, under Hubbard’s command, is involved in an incident where shells fired for target practice land on inhabited Mexican territory. Hubbard is relieved of command of both vessels.
• June 1950: Hubbard publishes “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.”
• Early 1950s: Hubbard expands Dianetics into Scientology, initially as a secular philosophy.
• 1951: An FBI memo details an interview with L. Ron Hubbard, where he expresses concerns about communist infiltration of his Dianetic Research Foundation, Inc.
• 1953: Hubbard declares Scientology a religion and founds the first Church of Scientology.
• 1963: United States Marshals and the USDA raid Church of Scientology offices and seize “E-meters.”
• Throughout the 1960s and 1970s: The Church of Scientology attempts to influence the FBI’s files on the organization, contending that much of the information is false.
• 1975: The Church of Scientology brings a civil action against the FBI, alleging illegal wiretapping.
• 1976: The Church of Scientology alleges that the FBI broke into its offices in Champagne, Illinois.
• 1977: Hundreds of FBI agents conduct searches of Church of Scientology properties in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. The FBI later responds to allegations of misconduct during these raids, and the raids become the subject of correspondence between the FBI and members of Congress, raising concerns about civil rights violations.
• 1978: Twelve members of the Church of Scientology, including L. Ron Hubbard’s wife Mary Sue Hubbard, are indicted on charges of conspiracy, theft of government property, aiding and abetting, and interception of oral communications related to break-ins at IRS offices.
• Late 1970s (FBI Memo): An FBI memo expresses concern that Church of Scientology members might be attempting to infiltrate the FBI, leading to a policy of not hiring identified members.
• 1980s: L. Ron Hubbard returns to writing science fiction, publishing “Battlefield Earth” and “Mission Earth.”
• January 24, 1986: L. Ron Hubbard dies.
• September 26, 1996: A shooting at the Church of Scientology offices in downtown Portland, Oregon, results in four people being shot. The Portland FBI Bureau covers this event.
• 2008: A series of FBI memos detail a cyber-attack launched against the Church of Scientology by the group “Anonymous.”
• October 2009 onwards: The Los Angeles Bureau of the FBI begins investigating accusations of violations involving the Church’s Sea Organization (Sea Org).
• Files date from 1943 to 2010: The provided FBI files cover this extensive period.

Cast of Characters:

• Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (L. Ron Hubbard): (Born March 13, 1911, Died January 24, 1986) The founder of Dianetics and Scientology. He was a science fiction writer who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he developed Dianetics and subsequently founded the Church of Scientology in 1953. The FBI files document his activities and the controversies surrounding him and the Church he established.
• Mary Sue Hubbard: Wife of L. Ron Hubbard. She was a high-ranking member within the Church of Scientology and was among the twelve members indicted in 1978 for conspiracy, theft of government property, aiding and abetting, and interception of oral communications related to break-ins at IRS offices.
• Members of the Church of Scientology: A general term referring to individuals who adhere to the tenets of Scientology and are part of the Church. The FBI files document various actions and allegations involving members, including concerns about infiltration of the FBI, break-ins at government offices, and a shooting incident.
• Members of the FBI: Agents and personnel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. The files contain memos, reports, and correspondence from FBI agents involved in interviews, raids, and responses to allegations of misconduct.
• Members of Congress: Individuals serving in the United States Congress who corresponded with the FBI regarding the 1977 raids on Church of Scientology properties, raising concerns about potential civil rights violations.
• Members of the Department of Justice: Officials within the Department of Justice who were involved in defending the FBI’s investigation and raids of the Church of Scientology.
• Members of “Anonymous”: A decentralized international activist and hacktivist collective that launched a cyber-attack against the Church of Scientology in 2008, as documented in FBI memos.
• Individuals shot at the Church of Scientology in Portland (September 26, 1996): Four unnamed individuals who were victims of a shooting at the Church of Scientology offices in Portland, Oregon. The FBI files from the Portland Bureau cover this incident.
• Members of the Sea Organization (Sea Org): A hierarchical organization within the Church of Scientology. Reports beginning in October 2009, covered by the Los Angeles FBI Bureau, investigated accusations of violations involving this group.

L. Ron Hubbard – Church of Scientology FBI Files

6,348 pages of FBI files covering L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. Files date from 1943 to 2010.

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, also known as L. Ron Hubbard, was born on March 13, 1911 in Tilden, Nebraska. Hubbard attended George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He studied civil engineering from 1930 to 1932. He left the university to pursue his writing career. He wrote mostly science fiction articles for pulp magazines and novellas. In the late 1930’s, he wrote the novel “Final Blackout” which told the story of Europe engulfed in war.

L. Ron Hubbard joined the United States Navy in June 1941. He was eventually given the command of USS YP-422 based in the Atlantic, then the subchaser USS PC-815 based in the pacific. In 1945 USS PC-815 was involved in an incident involving shells being launched at an island for target practice, which turned out to be inhabited and a part of Mexico. Hubbard was relieved of his command of both vessels. L. Ron Hubbard in June of 1950 published, “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.”

Hubbard expanded Dianetics into a secular philosophy which he called Scientology. Hubbard soon declared Scientology a religion and founded the first Church of Scientology in 1953. The Church of Scientology is considered by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be a tax-exempt religious nonprofit organization. In the 1980’s L. Ron Hubbard was again writing science fiction, publishing “Battlefield Earth” and “Mission Earth.” L. Ron Hubbard died on January 24, 1986.

Files date from 1943 to 2010. Among the material in the files:

A memo of a 1951 FBI interview with L. Ron Hubbard, in which Hubbard expresses concern that communists were undermining his organization, Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation, Inc.

Memos concerning a 1963 raid of Church offices by United States Marshals and the USDA seizure of Church of Scientology “E-meters.”

Attempts by the Church of Scientology to establish as part of the files the FBI maintains on it, it’s contention that much of the information in the files are falsehoods about L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology.

An FBI investigation into allegations that Church of Scientology members and former church members broke into IRS offices.

Information regarding a 1975 civil action brought by the Church of Scientology, claiming that the FBI had wiretapped its phones.

Allegations made by the Church of Scientology that the FBI broke into its offices in Champagne, Illinois in 1976.

Documents dealing with a 1977 search of Church of Scientology properties in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles conducted by hundreds of FBI agents.

FBI response to allegations of misconduct by its agents during the 1977 raids.

Correspondences between the FBI and members of Congress concerning the raid and possible civil rights violations. Letters from the FBI and the Department of Justice defending their raid and investigation of the Church of Scientology.

An FBI memo stating concern that Church of Scientology members might be trying to join the FBI and that for the time being, “no appointments will be extended to any applicant identified as being a member of the Church of Scientology.”

Documents pertaining to the 1978 indictment of 12 members of the Church of Scientology, including L. Ron Hubbard’s wife Mary Sue, on charges of conspiracy, theft of government property, aiding and abetting, and interception of oral communications.

Files from the Portland, Oregon FBI Bureau covering the September 26, 1996 shooting of four people at the Church of Scientology offices in downtown Portland.

Reports beginning in October 2009 covering the Los Angeles Bureau investigation of accusations of violations involving the Church’s Sea Organization (Sea Org).

A 2008 series of memos about a cyber-attack launched against the Church by “Anonymous.”