Best-Selling Author to Discuss Ohio Wesleyan Alumnus Norman Vincent Peale
On April 12, Ohio Wesleyan will celebrate the legacy of 1920 graduate Norman Vincent Peale, author of ‘The Power of Positive Thinking,’ with a presentation by best-selling author Ken Blanchard and reflections from Peale’s family. (Photo courtesy of the New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection)
DELAWARE, OHIO – The Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a 1920 Ohio Wesleyan University graduate, is credited with improving millions of lives during his lifetime with his uplifting sermons and books, including “The Power of Positive Thinking,” and Guideposts magazine, which he founded in 1945.
On April 12, Ohio Wesleyan will celebrate Peale’s lasting legacy with a free public lecture by best-selling author and Peale collaborator Ken Blanchard, Ph.D.
Blanchard, best known for his “One Minute Manager” books, will present “Norman Vincent Peale, My Mentor and My Friend,” at 7:30 p.m. in the Bayley Room on the second floor of Ohio Wesleyan’s Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave. This event is free, but seating is limited and reservations are requested by emailing chaplain@owu.edu or by calling Sarah DuBois (740) 368-3083.
Blanchard, author of more than 30 books, served as a co-author with Peale on 1988’s “The Power of Ethical Management,” a practical primer designed to show business managers how to bring integrity back to the workplace with practical, ethical strategies that support long-term success.
In addition to Blanchard, members of the Peale family – including daughters Elizabeth Peale Allen and Margaret Peale Everett and son John Peale – are expected to share reflections during the April 12 event. A public reception will follow, with copies of Blanchard’s and Peale’s books available for purchase.
While at Ohio Wesleyan, Peale’s family also will visit classes, meet with students, and contribute historic tapes of the minister to the Archives of Ohio United Methodism. The archives is a collection of books, manuscripts, and other artifacts organized to encourage the study of the history of United Methodism in Ohio. The collection is housed in Beeghly Library and is sponsored and supported jointly by Ohio Wesleyan and by the East and West Ohio Conferences of the United Methodist Church.
“During his lifetime, Norman Vincent Peale was known as the ‘minister to millions,’ thanks to his optimistic outlook and empowering, hopeful messages,” said Rock Jones, Ph.D., president of Ohio Wesleyan. “The university is honored to celebrate the legacy of this important alumnus and to receive artifacts chronicling his life from his family. He continues to be an example of the life of leadership and service for which Ohio Wesleyan seeks to prepare all of our graduates.”
Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.