- Born
- Died
- Birth nameGeorge Burr Leonard
- George Leonard was born on August 9, 1923 in Macon, Georgia, USA. He was married to Annie Styron. He died on January 6, 2010 in Mill Valley, California, USA.
- SpouseAnnie Styron(? - January 6, 2010) (his death, 3 children)
- Was President-Emeritus of the Esalen Institute, a human potential movement, that flourished in the 1960s and 70s.
- George Leonard has been called "the granddaddy of the consciousness movement," by Newsweek, "the poet-philosopher of American health in its broadest sense" by American Health, and "the legendary editor and writer" by Psychology Today. While serving as senior editor for Look magazine (1953-1970), he won an unprecedented eleven national awards for education writing. His coverage of the Civil Rights Movements (praised in the February 10, 2003 New Yorker) contributed to Look receiving the first National Magazine Award in 1968. His harrowing 7,000-mile journey around the Soviet border with photographer Paul Fusco just after the Berlin Wall went up provided the first reportage showing that the Iron Curtain was an actual barrier of barbed wire, mine fields, and watch towers rather than a mere figure of speech.
- He is credited with coming up with the term "human potential movement.".
- During World War II, Leonard served as attack pilot in the southwest Pacific theater, and during the Korean conflict, as an analytical intelligence officer. He also enjoyed a lifelong devotion to music and occasionally played piano with jazz groups.
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