Sara Northrup Hollister facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sara Northrup Hollister
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Sara Northrup Hollister in April 1951
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| Born | April 8, 1924 Pasadena, California, United States
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| Died | December 19, 1997 (aged 73) Hadley, Massachusetts, United States
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| Spouse(s) | L. Ron Hubbard (1946–1951) Miles Hollister (1951–1997) |
| Children | 1 |
Sara Elizabeth Bruce Northrup Hollister (April 8, 1924 – December 19, 1997) was an American woman who played a big part in the early days of Dianetics and Scientology. She was the second wife of L. Ron Hubbard, who founded Scientology.
Sara was involved with a group in Pasadena called Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.). This group studied unusual spiritual ideas. She joined as a teenager with her older sister Helen. From 1941 to 1945, she lived with her sister Helen and Helen's husband, John Whiteside Parsons. Parsons was a rocket scientist and a leader in the Pasadena O.T.O. Sara was a committed member of the group.
In 1945, Sara met L. Ron Hubbard through the O.T.O. She and Hubbard left together and got married a year later. At the time, Hubbard was still married to his first wife. Sara helped Hubbard develop Dianetics, which later became the religious movement of Scientology. She was Hubbard's personal counselor for Dianetics.
Their marriage became very difficult. Hubbard made false accusations about her to the authorities. He also took their baby daughter without Sara's permission. Their marriage ended in 1951, and newspapers reported on their disagreements. Sara later married Miles Hollister and moved to Hawaii and then Massachusetts. She passed away in 1997.
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Early Life of Sara Northrup
Sara Northrup was one of five children. Her father, Thomas Cowley, was from England and worked for the Standard Oil Company. Her mother, Olga Nelson, was the daughter of a Swedish immigrant. Sara's family moved to Pasadena, California, in 1923.
Sara and Jack Parsons
In 1933, Sara's older sister Helen met Jack Parsons. Parsons was a chemist who became famous for his work on rocket engines. He was also very interested in unusual spiritual practices. Helen and Jack married in 1935. In 1939, Parsons and Helen joined the Pasadena branch of Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.). When Sara was 15, she moved in with Helen and Jack while finishing high school.
Sara Northrup joined O.T.O. in 1941, encouraged by Parsons. She was given the name "Soror Cassap." She quickly became a higher-ranking member of the O.T.O. In 1941, when she was 17, Sara and Parsons became very close. When Helen returned from a trip, she found Sara wearing her clothes and saying she was Parsons' "new wife." The O.T.O. group had unusual ideas about relationships.
Sara's actions caused problems between the two sisters. In 1942, the O.T.O. group moved into a large house in Pasadena. Parsons divided the house into many apartments. Artists, writers, scientists, and people interested in spiritual ideas lived there. Sara made a strong impression on everyone. People described her as "feisty and untamed."
However, Sara's behavior sometimes caused problems with other O.T.O. members. The leader of the O.T.O., Aleister Crowley, heard about these issues. He warned that Sara could be a danger to Parsons and the group's work. Other members also expressed concerns about her disruptive behavior.
Sara and L. Ron Hubbard
In August 1945, Sara Northrup met L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard visited the O.T.O. house while on leave from the US Navy. Parsons liked Hubbard right away and invited him to stay. Hubbard was a striking figure. He often wore dark glasses and carried a cane. He claimed these were from his wartime service, but these claims were not true.
Hubbard and Parsons became partners in their spiritual studies. In early 1946, Hubbard, Northrup, and Parsons decided to start a business together. They planned to buy yachts on the East Coast and sail them to California to sell for profit. They started "Allied Enterprises" on January 15, 1946. Parsons put in $20,000, Hubbard added $1,200, and Northrup did not contribute money.
Hubbard and Northrup left for Florida in April. Hubbard took $10,000 from the business account to buy the first yacht. Weeks passed without any news from Hubbard. Other O.T.O. members became worried. They believed Hubbard and Northrup had bought a boat for themselves and were enjoying it in Florida.
Parsons tried to get his money back. He sued Hubbard and Northrup in July. He accused them of breaking their business agreement and trying to run away with the money. The case was settled out of court. Hubbard and Northrup agreed to return some of Parsons' money. They kept a yacht called the Harpoon, which they soon sold for cash.
Hubbard also faced financial difficulties. He tried to get more money from the government, claiming various health problems. He asked Northrup to pretend to be an old friend and write letters supporting his claims. Around this time, Hubbard asked Northrup to marry him. She said no many times but finally agreed. They married on August 10, 1946, in Chestertown, Maryland.
The couple moved often in the next year. They lived in California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Sara did not know that Hubbard was still married to his first wife, Polly. Hubbard's son told Sara about his parents' marriage. Sara tried to leave, but Hubbard convinced her to stay. He told her he was getting a divorce and that their marriage was legal. They moved to a rented trailer in North Hollywood in July 1947. Hubbard spent much of his time writing stories.
Their relationship was not easy. Hubbard struggled with writing and relied on Northrup for story ideas. She even helped him write some of his stories. She later said, "I would often entertain him with plots so he could write."
In 1948, the couple moved to Savannah, Georgia. Hubbard began writing a book about "the cause and cure of nervous tension." This book became the first draft of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. This book started the ideas of Dianetics and later Scientology.
The Dianetics Years
The final version of Dianetics was written in Bay Head, New Jersey. Sara Northrup was pregnant at the time and happy with the location. In three years of marriage, she had lived in seven different states. On March 8, 1950, she gave birth to their daughter, Alexis Valerie.
A month later, Northrup became a director of the new Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation. This organization was created to share Dianetics. The Hubbards moved to a new house near the Foundation. Northrup became Hubbard's personal Dianetics counselor. She was one of the first people Hubbard called "Clears" in Dianetics.
Dianetics became a bestseller when it was published in May 1950. Within two months, over 55,000 copies were sold. Many Dianetics groups started across the United States. The Dianetics Foundation made a lot of money. However, money was also spent very quickly due to poor management and Hubbard's spending habits. Northrup remembered that he "used to carry huge amounts of cash around in his pocket."
By October, the Foundation had financial problems. Hubbard became more worried and controlling. Their marriage was quickly breaking down. Northrup and Hubbard argued often.
In January 1951, Hubbard tried to fix their marriage. He invited Northrup and baby Alexis to Palm Springs, California. But the situation soon became tense again. Hubbard accused people of trying to take control of the Foundation. He also had difficulties with Northrup. It was clear their marriage was ending. Hubbard tried to convince Northrup to stay with him.
Northrup went to a doctor for advice about Hubbard's behavior. She was told she was in danger. She told Hubbard to get help, or she would leave with the baby. She left Palm Springs on February 3.
Sara and Alexis Taken by Hubbard
Three weeks later, Hubbard took both Northrup and Alexis. On February 24, 1951, Hubbard took Alexis from her caregiver. Alexis was put into a car and driven to San Bernardino, California. Hubbard tried to find a doctor to say his wife was not well. He was unsuccessful. He then released Sara at Yuma Airport in Arizona. He promised to tell her where Alexis was if she signed a paper saying she went with him willingly. Sara agreed, but Hubbard did not keep his promise. He flew to Chicago.
Hubbard then returned to the Foundation in New Jersey. He wrote a letter to the FBI. In it, he made false accusations about Northrup and others, claiming they were involved in bad activities.
Northrup reported Alexis missing to the Los Angeles Police Department. But the police said it was a family problem. After searching for six weeks, Sara went to court in April 1951. She demanded the return of Alexis. This dispute became front-page news. Newspapers used headlines like "Cult Founder Accused of Tot Kidnap." Hubbard then went to Havana, Cuba. He wrote a letter to Northrup, claiming he was in a military hospital and that Alexis was getting excellent care.
In reality, Hubbard had tried to get help from the US military in Havana, but they did not help him. The FBI had told them that Hubbard was considered a "mental case." On April 19, Hubbard called his public relations assistant. He told her he was not legally married to Sara. A few days later, while still married to Northrup, he asked his assistant to marry him.
Divorce from Hubbard
Northrup filed for divorce on April 23, 1951. She said Hubbard's actions caused her "great mental anguish and physical suffering." Her lawyer also worked with the media to get her story out.
In May 1951, Northrup filed another complaint. She said Hubbard had gone to Cuba to avoid the divorce papers. By then, he had moved to Wichita, Kansas. Northrup's lawyer asked for Hubbard's money to be frozen. Hubbard wrote to the FBI again, making more false accusations about Northrup.
Fortunately for Northrup, the FBI did not act on Hubbard's claims. In June 1951, she finally got Alexis back. She agreed to drop her court cases in California in exchange for a divorce. She met Hubbard in Wichita to resolve the situation. He told her she was "in a state of complete madness." Sara played along and told him he was right. She said the only way to break free was to go through with the divorce.
Hubbard then asked her to sign a statement he wrote. This statement said that what she had said about him was "grossly exaggerated or entirely false."
The statement read: "I, Sara Northrup Hubbard, do hereby state that the things I have said about L. Ron Hubbard in courts and the public prints have been grossly exaggerated or entirely false. I have not at any time believed otherwise than that L. Ron Hubbard is a fine and brilliant man. I make this statement of my own free will for I have begun to realize that what I have done may have injured the science of Dianetics, which in my studied opinion may be the only hope of sanity in future generations. I was under enormous stress and my advisers insisted it was necessary for me to carry through an action as I have done. There is no other reason for this statement than my own wish to make atonement for the damage I may have done. In the future I wish to lead a quiet and orderly existence with my little girl far away from the enturbulating influences which have ruined my marriage. Sara Northrup Hubbard."
Years later, Northrup said she signed the statement because "I thought by doing so he would leave me and Alexis alone. It was horrible. I just wanted to be free of him!"
On June 12, Hubbard was granted a divorce in Kansas. The court said Northrup had caused him "nervous breakdown and impairment to health." She did not give evidence. She was given custody of Alexis and $200 a month for child support. She left Wichita as soon as Alexis was returned to her. She was so eager to leave that she ran across the airfield to the plane. She later called it "the happiest day of my life."
After the Divorce
After divorcing Hubbard, Northrup married Miles Hollister. They bought a house in Malibu. Hubbard continued to develop Dianetics, which became Scientology. He met his third wife, Mary Sue Whipp, in late 1951. The divorce controversy had hurt his public image.
Hubbard continued to make false claims about Northrup. He said she was a spy and accused her and Hollister of trying to take control of Dianetics. He even wrote a letter signed with a false name, making more accusations.
Neither Northrup nor Alexis tried to contact Hubbard again. Hubbard later removed Alexis from his will. In 1986, the Church of Scientology and Alexis reached an agreement. Alexis agreed not to write or speak about L. Ron Hubbard. The Church has even changed old photographs and news stories to remove Sara Northrup.
The Church of Scientology continues to repeat Hubbard's claims about their relationship. In 2010, a Church spokesperson said Hubbard was never married to Sara Northrup and did not have a child with her. He claimed she was sent by "the Russians."
Although Northrup did not speak publicly against her ex-husband for many years, she broke her silence in 1972. She wrote privately to Paulette Cooper, who wrote a book about Scientology. Northrup told Cooper that Hubbard was a dangerous person. She said her life improved after leaving him, but she was still afraid of him and his followers.
In 1986, after Hubbard's death, Northrup was interviewed. Parts of her interview were published in a book. She died of breast cancer in 1997. In her last months, she recorded her story about her relationship with Hubbard. She said she was "not interested in revenge; I'm interested in the truth."
See also
- List of Thelemites
