Mary Sue Hubbard
Mary Sue Hubbard (born
Mary Sue Whipp) (
17 June 1931–
25 November,
2002 [
1]) was the third wife of American
pulp fiction author
and
Scientology founder
L. Ron Hubbard. She was involved in the incorporation of the first
Church of Scientology in December 1953 in New Jersey together with her husband and
John Galusha.
['Church of American Science' (incorporation papers); 'Church of Scientology' (incorporation papers); 'Church of Spiritual Engineering', (incorporation papers); 18 December, 1953]Mary Sue Hubbard was often regarded as the "first lady" of
Scientology. They were married from March 1952 to his death on
January 24,
1986, and had four children. She became a controversial figure late in life due to a criminal conviction involving
Operation Snow White, a Scientology-backed espionage program which was the single largest infiltration of the
United States government in history.
Whipp was born in
Rockdale, Texas but raised in
Houston, graduating with a
BA from
Texas University. She gave up a potential career in petroleum research to study
dianetics, receiving her Hubbard Dianetic Auditors Certificate in
Wichita,
Kansas in 1951. She became a staff auditor and a research auditor. After she married Ron, she accompanied her husband to
Phoenix,
Arizona where they established the first organisation. She controlled the office of L.Ron Hubbard at 1405 North Central Avenue where the
Hubbard Association of Scientologists was born. During a power struggle within the group, Mary Sue became ill and her husband took her to the
UK. While he was there several dianetic groups asked him to form an organization and they proceeded to do so. Shortly afterwards, the Hubbards' first child, Diana, was born.
When the British organization was consolidated, Hubbard and her husband visited
Spain and then moved to
Camden,
New Jersey to better organize U.S. Scientology. Mary Hubbard and her husband later moved back to Phoenix where
Quentin and Suzette were born.
As well as being a mother and running a household at that time, Mary Sue found time to hold every post within the organization as well as assisting her husband in his continual development of Scientology.
In 1955 she helped establish the Washington organization and was its first academy supervisor. After several months abroad she returned to Washington and in 1958 Arthur was born. She then helped establish the international headquarters at
Saint Hill, UK, in 1959.
Right up to 1964 Hubbard assisted her husband. Later she headed the Church's
Guardian's Office.
Mary Sue's books published through the Church include such works as
The Book of E-Meter Drills and
Marriage Hats. Mary Sue also authored the official Scientology policy letter
HCO PL 5 Apr 72, Issue I, "PTS Type A Handling", although her name no longer appears on current copies. [
2]
|
Mary Sue Hubbard's 1974 book Marriage Hats, now out of print. |
Main article: Operation Snow White
In 1979 she was convicted of
conspiracy against the
United States Government for her role in
Operation Snow White, in which Scientology operatives committed infiltration, wiretapping, and theft of documents in government offices, most notably those of the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service. [
3] This came after an
FBI raid on Church of Scientology offices in
Los Angeles, CA, in which another illegal plot,
Operation Freakout, also came to light. [
4] [
5]
The furor over Mary Sue's trial and subsequent guilty plea led to difficulties with other members, particularly
David Miscavige. Mary Sue was largely
disconnected from the Church after Miscavige came to power.
Mary Sue's death in November 2002 went unacknowledged by the Church of Scientology or any of its publications. Her name was quietly removed from the
International Association of Scientologists and its "Impact" magazine. [
6]
In 1988 her name was removed from the
Book of E-Meter Drills and Scientology catalogs now list her husband L. Ron Hubbard as the sole author. Her book
Marriage Hats is no longer in print and no longer sold or mentioned on any official Church of Scientology website or catalog. [
7]
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