Catherine Ponder's Ponderings: Dr. George LeRoy Dale

Dr. George LeRoy Dale

A Visit With Dr. Catherine Ponder about Dr. George LeRoy Dale

Of all the people I have met connected with the New Thought Movement over the last 50 years, perhaps the most colorful was Dr. George LeRoy Dale. The first time I arrived at Unity Village (called "Unity Farm" in the 1950s); I was checked in at the Registration Office before being delivered in the Unity station wagon to my assigned cottage. Dr. Dale headed that Registration Office, assisted by several staff members, all of whom I learned later had impressive Unity credentials. His assistant, a quiet, efficient, unassuming lady known as "Miss Emma" was a Licensed Unity Teacher, earlier associated with Unity of Jacksonville, Florida.

Dr. Dale had been an early Doctor of Chiropractic when that practice of health care was in its infancy. Such a pioneer background suited Dr. Dale's dauntless personality perfectly. He was a big bear of a man who lauded the good results one could experience as a result of exercise combined with the use of affirmations. He was a vegetarian and an early exponent of vitamin and mineral supplements, long before such knowledge had become generally accepted. Both he and his attractive wife had earlier been associated with the well known health and exercise guru of the day, Bernard Macfadden.

I never attended a formal prosperity class at Unity School, nor did I ever receive formal instruction on the subject while in attendance there. Instead, I have always considered Dr. Dale my prosperity teacher.

He conducted a non-credited class, which was known as "Dr. Dale's Exercise Class," daily during the Training School sessions. In the present age, when exercise and other similar health measures are emphasized, we could benefit from Dr. Dale's unique methods. However, his exercise class was much more than just that. He also gave short impromptu talks on the power of spoken affirmations, on the power of tithing, on how to make a treasure map picturing the health, wealth, or happiness one desired; and on various related prosperity subjects. (His instructions on how to make a treasure map are found in my book Open Your Mind to Prosperity.)

He sometimes shared stories and his viewpoints about well known New Thought teachers and their success secrets. He stated that he personally declared prosperity affirmations aloud for a half hour three times a day. And in his booming voice, he led the students in his exercise class in use of his favorite affirmations, often relating how those affirmations had brought happy results for various people over the years.

Not only was his exercise combined with the verbal use of affirmations, but they were also accompanied by music. Members of Silent Unity often took time from their other duties to play the piano for our exercise classes.

Among the many statements we either spoke aloud or sang were:

"I am alive, alert, awake, joyous and enthusiastic about life."

"I am a spiritual being, living in a spiritual universe, governed by spiritual law."

"I have plenty to spare and to share"

"Voluntary, faithful tithing of my income now operated the law of ever-increasing prosperity for me."

"I tithe my way to prosperity."

"I'm not afraid of anything. Through life I freely roam. The world was made for all of us, so I'll make myself at home."

"My mind is now open, my heart is receptive, and miracles are now happening to me."

His book, Special Methods for Attaining Spiritual Mastery published by Unity School in 1956 gave many of his affirmations and described the methods used in his exercise classes.

He had acted as Charles Fillmore's business manager in the early years of the movement. In that capacity, he related many experiences he had witnessed with Mr. Fillmore as they had used the power of the spoken word. He related how he once entered Mr. Fillmore's office at a time when Mr. Fillmore was declaring prosperity affirmations. When he asked how many times those affirmations had been spoken, the reply was "At least two thousand times." Photographs in the Unity archives show Dr. Dale sitting on the front row of Silent Unity meetings, which Charles Fillmore was leading in the early 1940s.

Dr. Dale liked to relate the story of a prominent New Thought personality who constantly declared affirmations of life for his health and longevity. Dr. Dale proudly stated that when that leader finally passed on, it was not from ill health, but a normal passage at the age of 102.

The last time I saw Dr. Dale was when he spoke at a Unity of Austin, Texas pioneers group in the 1960s. Although he must have been close to his eighth decade, he was driving himself from Missouri to Florida, where he was scheduled to lecture all over the state.

As for the benefit of his use of affirmations, he became financially independent and lived into his ninth decade. In his latter years, he resided with his wife in the upscale Country Club Plaza neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. Like the health guru of recent times, Richard Simmons, Dr. Dale was also "too blessed to be stressed."

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