L. Ron Hubbard, May 1950, shortly after the release of Dianetics. “I have carried out my basic intention — to understand man and help him attain greater heights of civilization through knowledge of himself.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Moreover, Mr. Hubbard’s unparalleled efforts to restore fundamental religious and spiritual values to society have saved man from the brink of a new dark age and restored decency and hope to a largely materialistic society. It followed from a 1973 investigation into the cultural crises so apparent on the streets of Manhattan, culminating in the launch of the Volunteer Minister program. Mr. Hubbard provided the means for anyone to help their fellow man on a volunteer basis “by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Today, this equates to real help for millions across 150 nations.

And through it all, Mr. Hubbard’s vision of achieving personal spiritual freedom for the individual included ensuring that society protected the basic human rights of every person.

Yet no measure of L. Ron Hubbard is complete without appreciation of what became his life’s work: Dianetics and Scientology. The world’s most effective force for positive change, Scientology represents spiritual freedom for millions of people the world over. They come from every walk of life, every culture and every strata of society. Moreover, when one is speaking of L. Ron Hubbard’s discoveries relating to the human mind and spirit, one is ultimately speaking of the philosophic foundation of all he accomplished: better education, crime-free cities, drug-free campuses, stable and ethical organizations and cultural revitalization through the arts — all of this and more is made possible because of the breakthroughs contained in Dianetics and Scientology.

Due to the scope of what he achieved — as an author, educator, humanitarian, administrator and artist — no treatment such as this can be entirely complete. After all, how can one convey, in only a few words, the impact of someone who has so deeply touched so many? Nevertheless, this succinct profile of the man and his achievements is provided in the spirit of what he himself declared: “If things were a little better known and understood, we would all lead happier lives.”

Students attending Mr. Hubbard’s lectures in 1954 at Phoenix, Arizona.