Was L. Ron Hubbard a “charlatan”?
A recent application under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 has enabled The Times to gain access to material relating to the founder of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. Although, the material, held by The National Archives, was not due for complete release until 2019, the Department of Health papers made available relate to an investigation into Hubbard’s academic credentials. The investigation revolved around the claim that ‘L. Ron Hubbard was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Sequoia University on February 10, 1953, in recognition of his outstanding work in the fields of Dianetics and Scientology’. However, it was alleged that Hubbard’s PhD had been awarded by little more than a “diploma mill”, in essence the qualification had been self-awarded. In 1977, this was confirmed by the British Consulate in Los Angeles, who described Sequoia University as a ‘will of the wisp organisation which has no premises and does not really exist.’ Despite this conclusion, the
