Letter: FDA Investors Division to Minneapolis PD Inspector (November 7, 1952)

November 7, 1952

Inspector Wetherell
Minneapolis Police Dept.
City Hall
Minneapolis, Minn.

Re: Dianetics, Inc.
800 Washington Ave. S. E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dear Inspector:

Mrs. Sadah Field of the above stated to this office last June 15, that she was closing the Minneapolis office and intended to move to Denver where she might set up another office. Her forwarding address there would be Dianetics Twin Cities, Inc., 770 Garrison, Denver 15, Colorado.

Mrs. Field came into our office on January 17, 1952, to explain Dianetics, Inc. She stated that she and a Mr. Chapdelaine were in charge of the Minneapolis Clinic located at the address shown above. One of the pamphlets entitled “Dianetics: What it is and How it Works” states that Funk and Wagnells New Standard Dictionary, Supplement Number Five, defines Dianetics as follows:

“A system for the analysis, control and development of human thought evolved from a set of coordinated axioms which also provide techniques for the treatment of a wide range of mental disorders and organic diseases; term and doctrine introduced by L. Ron Hubbard, American Engineer.”

There were two organizations in Minneapolis, “Dianetics, Inc.” a non-profit corporation which is the social part of the organization; and “Dianetics Twin Cities, Inc.” which was the business branch. Mrs. Field stated that they had approximately 30 or 40 members. They were struggling at that time to get started, and when they had enough money they intended to pay the two people in charge of the Clinic, salaries.They offered a package plan to heal mental disorders, consisting of 36 hours of auditing by a Hubbard Dianetic Auditor, for which the fee was $300. The fee for a Minneapolis Dianetic Auditor, however, was only $200.

A series of articles appeared in our local newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, last spring, in which Dianetics was discussed pro and con. There seemed to be considerable controversy as to the merits of the system.

We have only one complaint in our files on the above, and that was from a Canadian citizen who had taken the course. He complained because he had received a letter from Mrs. Field stating that they were closing their Minneapolis office as of June 15, 1952. When I contacted Mrs. Field, she informed me confidentially that the man had been treated for habitual drunkenness and hadn’t paid them a dime for the series of treatments he had received from them.

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Inspector Wetherell

If further information is desired we would suggest that you contact the Business Protective Bureau at the Wichita Chamber of Commerce, 1019 Beacon Building, Wichita 2, Kansas. They may be able to furnish more information because the Hubbard Dianetic Foundation, Inc. is located in Wichita.

Very truly yours,

C. N. Pearson
Investors Division