Paul Andre Verdier (April 28, 1918 - July 3, 1996) was a licensed psychologist in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Career

He was the first Vice President and one of the founders of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (currently over 30,000 members). Verdier was a graduate of

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and held degrees in mechanical engineering and

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

. He was born in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and immigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. He served in the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Dr. Verdier was associated with the

National Research Council of Canada The National Research Council Canada (NRC; ) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research and development. It is the largest federal research and development organization in Canada. Th ...

, the

Defence Research and Development Canada Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; , ''RDDC'') is the science and technology organization of the Department of National Defence (Canada), Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), ...

, as a senior scientist with

Litton Industries Litton Industries, Inc., was an American defense contractor that specialized in shipbuilding, aerospace, electronic components, and information technology. The company was founded in 1953 and was named after inventor Charles Litton Sr., who was ...

, and as a consultant to

North American Aviation North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F- ...

. During the late 70s, he was extremely notable and popular and was on a number of talk shows in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

commenting on the

Patty Hearst Patricia Campbell Hearst (born February 20, 1954) is an American actress and member of the Hearst family. She is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She first became known for the events following her 197 ...

kidnapping as well as a number of cult related news stories. This was due, in large part, to the timely release of his book ''Brainwashing and the Cults: An Exposé on Capturing the Human Mind .'' He died in Los Angeles, July 3, 1996, from complications brought on by pneumonia and sclerosis in the upper body.

Published works

* ''Basic Human Factors for Engineers'' (Exposition Press, 1960) * ''Bio-psychology'' (Exposition Press, 1963) * ''The Ergonomic Quotient'' (Church Press, 1971) * ''Brainwashing and the Cults'' (Institute of Behavioral Conditioning, 1971)

References

* McGowan, D (2001) ''Mind Control 101: An introduction'' www.whale.to/b/gowan.html

External links

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdier, Paul A. McGill University Faculty of Engineering alumni 1918 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American psychologists 20th-century Canadian psychologists Immigrants to Canada