Norman Vincent Peale*

Inducted 1999
Posthumous

Born in a rural Ohio town, Peale grew up helping support his family by delivering newspapers, working in a grocery store, and selling pots and pans door to door. For half a century, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale was one of the most influential Protestant clergymen in the United States. He applied Christianity to everyday problems and had a keen understanding of human psychology. He was a reporter on the Findlay, Ohio, Morning Republic prior to entering the ministry and went on to author 40 books.

Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 40 languages. With his wife, Ruth, Peale founded the Foundation for Christian Living in 1945. He died on December 24, 1993, at 95. Ruth carries on the work they began.

*Deceased member