Leo Buscaglia

Felice Leonardo "Leo" Buscaglia (March 31, 1924 – June 12, 1998), also known as "Dr. Love," was an American author and motivational speaker, and a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Southern California.[1][2]

Leo Buscaglia
Buscaglia in 1989
Born(1924-03-31)March 31, 1924
Los Angeles, California, United States
DiedJune 12, 1998(1998-06-12) (aged 74)
Glenbrook, Nevada, United States
OccupationMotivational speaker, writer, professor
Alma materUniversity of Southern California

Biography

Felice Leonardo Buscaglia was born in Los Angeles, California on March 31, 1924 into a family of Italian immigrants.[1] He spent his early childhood in Aosta, Italy, before going back to the United States for education.[1] He was a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School. Buscaglia served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Using G.I. Bill benefits, Buscaglia entered the University of Southern California, where he earned three degrees (BA 1950; MA 1954; PhD 1963) before eventually joining the faculty.[1]

He was the first to state and promote the concept of hugs to 5 survive, 8 maintain and 12 to thrive.

Upon retirement, Buscaglia was named Professor at Large, one of only two such designations on campus at that time.

A student's suicide

While teaching at USC, Buscaglia was moved by a student's suicide to contemplate human disconnectedness and the meaning of life, and began a noncredit class he called Love 1A.[1] This became the basis for his first book, titled simply Love. His dynamic speaking style was discovered by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and his televised lectures earned great popularity in the 1980s. At one point his talks, always shown during fundraising periods, were the top earners of all PBS programs. This national exposure, coupled with the heartfelt storytelling style of his books, helped make all his titles national bestsellers; five were once on the New York Times bestsellers list simultaneously.[2]

Death

Buscaglia died of a heart attack on June 12, 1998 at his home in Glenbrook, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, he was 74.[1]

Bibliography
  1. Love (1972)
  2. The Way of the Bull (1973)
  3. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf (1982)
  4. Living, Loving and Learning (1982)
  5. Loving Each Other (1984)
  6. Amar a los demás (1985)
  7. Personhood (1986)
  8. Bus 9 to Paradise (1987)
  9. Papa My Father (1989)
  10. Because I Am Human (1972)
  11. The Disabled and Their Parents: A Counseling Challenge (1983)
  12. Seven Stories of Christmas Love (1987)
  13. A Memory for Tino (1988)
  14. Born for Love (1992)

References
  1. Robert McG. Thomas Jr (June 13, 1998). "Leo Buscaglia, TV Advocate of Love's Power, Dies at 74". The New York Times.
  2. Burt A. Folkart (June 13, 1998). "Leo Buscaglia; Speaker and Writer on Love and Hugs". Los Angeles Times.
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