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John Paul "Jack" Rosenberg (born September 5, 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and sometimes subsequently known as Werner Hans Erhard, an American entrepreneur, founded the large group awareness training program est (short for Erhard Seminars Training, 1971 - 1981) which later gave rise to Werner Erhard and Associates (WEA, 1981 - 1991) and to the "Landmark Forum"/Landmark Education (1991 - ).

Early career

Rosenberg married Patricia Fry on 26 September 1953 (Pressman 1993: 4) and fathered four (some sources suggest three) children. He first adopted the name "Jack Frost" as an alias while selling cars in Philadelphia (Pressman 1993: 6). He subsequently used the name "Curt Wilhelm VonSavage" when contracting a bigamous marriage with June Bryde (Pressman 1993: 6).

In 1960 Rosenberg left his first wife and family in Philadelphia and travelled west. He changed his name to Werner Hans Erhard and his lover, June Bryde, changed hers to Ellen Virginia Erhard. Erhard later said that he chose the last name "Erhard" almost at random, selecting it from a magazine article he happened to read about then-West German economics minister Ludwig Erhard. The newly-renamed Erhards moved to St. Louis, where Werner Erhard sold used cars. After a few years, the couple moved further west to California.

After selling correspondence courses and encyclopedias, Erhard trained door-to-door salespeople for Grolier Society until 1971.

Early links with New Age and transformation

In California in the 1960s, Erhard engaged in a wide variety of spiritual disciplines including Zen Buddhism. Steven Pressman details some of Erhard's connections with Scientology in this and subsequent periods (Pressman, 1993, pages 25 - 26, 30 - 31, 6s and 125 - 126). Note that the Church of Scientology included "ERHARD, WERNER" on a list of "suppressive persons" and "fair game" (enemies) dating from 1992.

Erhard reported having had a revelation while driving on U.S. Route 101 in Marin County, California in 1971. He started to see the world as perfect "the way it is" and had the insight that his attempts to change or modify either his physical circumstances or his mental outlook had their basis in a conception of the world (that it should differ from "the way it is") that precluded or at least limited one's experiential and creative appreciation of it.

In the 1970s Erhard maintained financial links with Jack Sarfatti and the Physics/Consciousness Research Group.

He also attempted to foster links with Michael Murphy and the Esalen Institute, and allegedly contributed funds to the SRI remote viewing project.

Erhard became an instructor of Mind Dynamics (Pressman, 1993, pages 33 - 34).

Erhard and L. Ron Hubbard were friends prior to a falling out.

Erhard Seminars Training (1971 - 1981)

After his initial realization Erhard put together an intensive two–weekend course he called est (after the Latin word meaning 'he is' or 'she is' or 'it is'; and/or as an acronym for 'Erhard Seminars Training'). He designed the course to bring its students into a conceptual place where they could experience a realization similar to his own Highway 101 revelation. This long course, consisting sometimes of 18–hour days, became controversial and, to many people who went through the seminar, exciting.

Pressman characterizes the est training as "the hours of materials * had stitched together from Scientology and Mind Dynamics and Dale Carnegie and Maxwell Maltz and a variety of other sources" (Pressman 1993: 70).

Many est participants claimed to experience greatly increased vitality and better self-expression. A weekly seminar program concerned with various aspects of life (integrity, self-expression, sex, money, commitment, etc.) evolved. A more intensive six-day course originated as a communication workshop.

The Hunger Project (1977 - )

Main article: The Hunger Project

Erhard formed the opinion that death by starvation occurred not because of lack of food to feed all those who suffered from chronic hunger. Instead he blamed the context in which people viewed and interacted with chronic hunger. That context, he said, consisted of a closely-held belief (or discourse, or conversation) that saw hunger as inevitable, a context of scarcity that governed all the interactions and fixes currently applied by those then attempting to fix the problem.

Along with John Denver and Oberlin College President Robert W. Fuller Erhard co-founded The Hunger Project in 1977. The Project had the initial stated intention of making "The End of Starvation within 20 Years an 'Idea Whose Time Has Come.'"(Copyright, 1977) Erhard served on the Project's board from 1979 to 1990, after which he ceased contact with the organization.

Werner Erhard and Associates (1981 - 1991) - The Forum

In the 1980s Erhard worked with Fernando Flores - philosopher, senator [http://appsvr2.senado.cl/prontus_senado/antialone.html?page=http://appsvr2.senado.cl/mss/listaparlamentarios.php of Chile and businessman - on aspects of language, setting up a body of work which makes a distinction between, on the one hand 'speaking that describes being' with, on the other hand, 'speaking that brings forth being'. After he retired the est training, Erhard developed a program which deploys the Socratic method of inquiry, which he called "the Forum". As the corporate vehicle for delivering his latest offerring, Erhard used Werner Erhard and Associates (WEA or WE&A), the corporate successor to the est Foundation. His program continues today in major cities in the USA and worldwide as the "Landmark Forum" under the auspices of the successor organization Landmark Education.

Legal strife

Erhard later faced tax disputes, allegations that he had perpetrated domestic violence, and an allegation of sexual impropriety against one or more of his daughters.

Abuse allegations

Pressman recounts how incest allegations against Werner Erhard made on CBS television's 60 Minutes program in March 1991 came from Deborah Rosenberg, the youngest child from Erhard/Rosenberg's first marriage. (Pressman 1993: 256 - 257). Deborah Rosenberg's allegations of molestation and rape also appeared in print in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Another daughter, Celeste Erhard, subsequently stated that third parties tricked her into exaggerating spicy details about her father's alleged behavior (she and another sister had made allegations of domestic violence against her father on 60 Minutes, not about incest or rape). Celeste Erhard said that the media had told her that the articles and her appearance on 60 Minutes aimed to get publicity for a book (San Jose Mercury News, July 16 1992).

Pressman tells how Erhard filed but then withdrew a lawsuit alleging "false, misleading and defamatory statements" against CBS in the wake of the latter's 60 Minutes program (Pressman 1993: 257 - 258).

Art Schreiber noted in a letter of July 31 1998:

There have been allegations that Mr. Erhard was abusive to his family. However, those allegations were later recanted. I am enclosing a copy of the article in the July 16, 1992 edition of the San Jose Mercury News regarding the lawsuit brought by one of Mr. Erhard's daughters against a San Jose Mercury News reporter for fraudulently promising her payment as incentive for her to make such false allegation to the media.
Note however that the referenced article in the San Jose Mercury News ("DAUGHTER OF EST FOUNDER SUES MN OVER 2 ARTICLES") quotes Celeste Erhard speaking of "exaggerating spicy details about her father's life", not of recanting.

In the Stephanie Ney court case of 1992 (resulting from Ney's participation in "the Forum") a U.S. court in a default judgment ordered Werner Erhard (in absentia) to pay more than $500,000 in damages for "mental injuries" (Pressman, 1993: 262). In the trial, the court did not find "the Forum" the cause of Stephanie Ney's injuries, but because Erhard never contested the suit, the court entered the default judgment against him.

Tax-evasion issues

The United States IRS allegedly settled a tax dispute with Erhard by paying him $200,000 for wrongful disclosure of false information. However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned this decision on February 8, 1995, in the case: "Werner H. Erhard v. Commissioner Internal Revenue ervice"*

See Also

  • Ellen Erhard v. Werner Erhard, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Public Record, June 20, 1996, for issues related to IRS tax petition disputes between Werner Erhard and his 2nd wife, Ellen Erhard. The case decided as follows: "Ellen Erhard appeals the Tax Court's dismissal of her petition as untimely filed. We affirm."

Landmark Education era

In 1991 Landmark Education bought the intellectual property of Werner Erhard and Associates and continued to offer the courses originally designed by Erhard.

According to The Los Angeles Times: "the end, Erhard received so much notoriety, including a scathing segment on 60 Minutes last March [1991, that he sold his business ...". (Welkos, 1991). However, nobody has ever substantiated Welkos's opinion. On the other hand, nobody has refuted Welkos's journalistic judgement.

For whatever reason, Erhard sold up and left the United States, resurfacing later in El Salvador, the Soviet Union, Ireland and the Cayman Islands. A subsequent report implied that he feared physical harm in the United States due to Scientology's Fair Game policy.

Years after Erhard left the California scene, Landmark Education set up the "Werner Erhard Biographical Website", registering the address werner-erhard.com at Network Solutions and providing the initial content for the site.

Current Involvement

One critic, an electonics engineer from Colorado, regards Werner Erhard Official Werner Erhard website, wernererhard.com as still "pulling the strings" at Landmark Education Time Magazine article, Werner Erhard, Time Magazine. Werner's younger brother (Harry Rosenberg) serves as Landmark Education's current CEO, and their sister (Joan Rosenberg) acts as the Vice President of the Centers Division.

When Erhard initially sold the company and left the country, it was :
Sold to employees and Erhard's brother, Nathan Rosenberg, the for-profit corporation was renamed Landmark Education CorporationJim Provenzano, Bay Area Reporter, Wheels of Fortunte, Devotion Over Dollars, http://members.tripod.com/~homeo/wheels7.html
In addition, Erhard's personal attorney (Art Schreiber), functions as Landmark Education's general counsel and Chairman of the Board of Directors."FedEX Package from Art Schreiber", General Counsel and Chairman of the Board of Directors, July 31, 1998 , formal letter to Linda Chase, http://home.swbell.net/danchase/art.htm And years after Erhard left the United States, Landmark Education set up the "Werner Erhard Biographical Website", which presents a benign view of "Werner". Landmark Education registered the address "werner-erhard.com" at Network Solutions and provided the initial content of the new web-pages from their own site.

Erhard's financial ties to Landmark Education

Landmark Education states that its programs have as their basis ideas originally developed by Erhard, but that Erhard has no financial interest, ownership, or management role in Landmark Education. Landmark Education, website, Landmark Education, Media Q & A. The Schreiber Declaration states that Werner Erhard never received payment under the licensing agreement, and that he assigned his rights to someone else. In Stephanie Ney v. Landmark Education Corporation (1994) Stephanie Ney v. Landmark Education Corporation, 1994, Case Reference, the courts determined that Landmark Education Corporation did not have successor-liability to Werner Erhard & Associates, the corporation whose assets Landmark Education purchased.

As of 1998, Erhard's financial ties to Landmark Education consisted of a licensing fee, and a license to technology that would have reverted back to Erhard in 2009 :

Landmark says that Erhard has nothing to do with The Forum. But the license Landmark obtained from Erhard enabling them to produce The Forum is in fact owned by Erhard, and is scheduled to revert to him in 2009. Erhard's 63 now and is assured 50 percent of Landmark's net pre-tax profit each quarter, not to exceed $15 million in the 18-year lifespan of the license. Furthermore, Erhard's brother, Harry Rosenberg, is currently Landmark's CEO, and sister Joan Rosenberg is listed as a director. The est of Friends, Metroactive Features, July 9-15, 1998 issue of Metro, Metro Publishing Inc.

However, as of 2001, Landmark Education purchased Werner Erhard's license and his rights to Landmark Education "technologies" in Japan and in Mexico :

Though it was rumored that Erhard sold his system for $1, it was later revealed that he received an initial payment of $3 million in addition to an eighteen-year licensing fee that was not to exceed $15 million; Erhard kept the Mexican and Japanese branches of the operation...Last year, * Landmark had revenues of $58 million, and Rosenberg says the company has bought outright Erhard's license and his rights to Japan and Mexico. Pay Money, Be Happy, New York Magazine, July 9, 2001, http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/culture/features/4932/index2.html

From time to time ErhardLandmark Education, website, archived, controversy, Landmark Education, website consults with Landmark Education, but (according to Landmark Education statements) he has no ownership, management or financial interest in that company.

Timeline of Incorporation, Name Changes

Additional Information, Landmark Education, est/Erhard Seminars Training

''Source: Hesse-Nassau Evangelical Church website
  • Gilbert H. Judson, president
  • Regina Tierney, secretary
    • July 14, 1992 - Alexandria, VA - federal district judge rules Landmark Education Corporation did not have successor-liability, in the case brought by a Silver Spring, Maryland woman for emotional damages allegedly due to participation in the Forum under Werner Erhard and Associates.
  • February 2003 - "Landmark Education Corporation" became "Landmark Education LLC"

Characterising Rosenberg/Erhard

Given Rosenberg/Erhard's various activities, people characterise him primarily in sharply different ways. Some dismiss him as a "car salesman"or more generically as a "salesman" (Howard, 1996: 72-73). Others emphasise his continuing commercial success and describe him as a "businessman" [http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/SMahomedInspires.pdf (Mahomed, 2005:3) - in PDF fprmat. Est-advocates in the heyday of that organisation came to regard "Werner" as "Source" (Lattin, 1990). Some detractors emphasised his background as an ex-Scientologist (see for example Schwertfeger 1997:7) and even labelled him a "guru" (see Macintyre, 1992) or a "cult leader" (as Alnor, 1994). Attempts to portray him as a great philosopher or thinker appear to have fallen on stony ground, and some have come to stress his role as an "educator" (see a previous version of this article in Wikipedia.

Name-changes/aliases

Werner Erhard's Family

Parents: father, Joseph Rosenberg and mother, Dorothy S. Clauson Rosenberg*. Siblings Nuclear Family
  • Celeste Erhard, daughter. According to Snider, Celeste Erhard retracted some 60 minutes allegations; but compare the actual allegations (made by Deborah Rosenberg) with Celeste Erhard's allegation of "exaggerating". According to "San Jose Mercury News " of Thursday, July 16, 1992, Celeste Erhard contended "she was tricked into exaggerating spicy details about her father's life".
See also Steven Pressman's account of who said what on "60 minutes" (Pressman, 1993: 256-257)

Awards

The Mahatma Gandhi International Foundation awarded Erhard the Gandhi Humanitarian Award in 1988.

See also

Staff/Participants/Individuals

Current/Previous Involvement, Landmark Education

Other

Related Organizations

Methodology/ideas references

External links

References

  • Alnor, William M.: "Werner Erhard Flees in the Wake of Tax Liens and Child Abuse Allegations". Christian Research Journal, Summer 1991, page 5. Retrieved from Internet Christian Library website on 4 June 2006.
  • Bartley, William Warren Werner Erhard: The Transformation of a Man: The Founding of EST Clarkson Potter, 1988. ISBN 0517535025
  • "Erhard in Exile Fearing Scientology" The Cult Observer, volume 11, number 7, 1994. Retrieved from http://www.whyaretheydead.net/misc/Factnet/CO0794.TXT on 12 March 2006.
  • Grigoriadis, Vanessa "Pay Money, Be Happy" Retrieved from New York Magazine, 9 July 2001 - The New York Metro Website on 26 January 2006.
  • Howard, Alex: Challenges to Counselling and Psychotherapy Houndmills and London: Macmillan, 1996.
  • Lattin, Don: "Ex-Employees Describe Abuse In Suit Against est's Erhard", San Francisco Chronicle, April 3, 1990. Retrieved from Rick Ross Institute on 4 June 2006.
  • Macintyre, Ben: "New Age guru goes into hiding". The Times Wednesday July 22, 1992. Copy retrieved from Rants and Raves website on 4 June 2006.
  • Mahomed, Shauki: "What Inspires the Psychiatrist? Personal Beliefs, Attitudes and Values". Retrieved from the Royal College of Psychiatrists website on 4 June 2006.
  • Pressman, Steven, Outrageous Betrayal: The dark journey of Werner Erhard from est to exile. New York: St Martins Press, 1993. ISBN 0312092962
  • San Jose Mercury News, July 16 1992. Article: "Est founder's daughter sues Mercury News over articles".
Retrieved from wernererhard.com on 26 January 2006.

Former Scientologists | Human Potential Movement | Personal development | 1970s fads | 1935 births | Living people

Werner Erhard

 

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