Mary Sue Hubbard

Mary Sue Hubbard (Whipp) was the third wife of L. Ron Hubbard, from 1952 to his death in 1986, and was a leading figure in Scientology for much of her life. She had four children by Hubbard - Diana (born 1952), Quentin (born 1954), Suzette (born 1955), and Arthur (born 1958).

She became involved in Hubbard's Dianetics in 1952, while still a student at the University of Texas at Austin, becoming a Dianetics auditor. She soon became involved in a relationship with Hubbard and married him in March 1952. She accompanied her husband to Phoenix, Arizona, where they established the Hubbard Association of Scientologists - the forerunner of the Church of Scientology, which was itself founded in 1953. She was credited with helping to coin the word "Scientology".

Mary Sue Hubbard was often regarded as the "first lady" of Scientology. Mary Sue and Ron were married from March 1952 to his death on January 24, 1986, and had four children.Whipp was born in Rockdale, Texas but raised in Houston, graduating with a BA from University of Texas. 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.