Norman Vincent Peale

Norman Vincent Peale, an American minister and author, was a progenitor of the theory of Positive Thinking. Born in Bowersville, Ohio, Peale graduated from Bellefontaine High School. He earned degrees at Ohio Wesleyan University and Boston University School of Theology. He was brought up as a Methodist and was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1922. A decade later, Peale changed his religious affiliation to the Reformed Church in America in 1932 and thus began his 52-year tenure as pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan. In 1935, Peale also started a radio program, “The Art of Living”, which lasted for 54 years and gained immense popularity. He was a copious writer and his most widely read book, The Power of Positive Thinking sold around 5 million copies. Peale also cofounded The Horatio Alger Association along with Peale Center, Guideposts Publications and the Positive Thinking Foundation, all of which aim to advance Peale’s theories of Positive Thinking.