Dick Glass

The Eloquent Elephant

This post is in reference to the May 8, 2025 poll results. Be sure to get your votes in on this week’s poll.

Born June 20, 1940 Troy New York

Died  July 30, 1992 Glendale, CA

I met a a lot of people in Scientology. I probably would not recognize the majority of them if they approached me on the street after all these years. But there were some who are indelibly etched in my memory. One of them would have been Dick Glass. Unfortunately, he died far too young.

I wrote this article and posted it on a Facebook group several years ago (I left Facebook in July 2022 so I can’t tell you the exact date). Shortly afterwards, it was published in Scientolipedia, with changes because I intimated that perhaps if he had treated his illness he would not have died at 52 and it was my opinion that he should not have been abandoned by his group before his death per the Scientology Code of Honor. This is Dick’s story.

As seems to be the case with too many new young Sea Org recruits, upon my arrival in LA, I was picked up at the airport not by my recruiter but by some harried staffer shortly after 1 pm on a Thursday and raced to the Hollywood Inn where no arrangement had been made for my berthing. I don’t recall who the staffer was, but I do recall being told that Chick Corea was a Scientologist. I didn’t respond Chick who? Which was what I wanted to say, I said oh wow, and thought I’d have to meet this awesome gal whoever she was. I’m glad I didn’t say that out loud. And yes, before my Scientology career was over I did interact with Chick. And I figured out he was not a girl.

I was too young and naive to consider not having a place to sleep for the night in an unknown city a problem. And, besides that, sitting there, larger than life, and I don’t mean because of his physical size, in the corner of the lobby, was Dick Glass, the Eloquent Elephant. He was 5’3” tall, and weighed close to 300 lbs. when I met him. He did not seem fat or bothered by his size either. He was at the piano, belting out tunes between jokes and generally keeping anyone within his orbit enthralled. I had never seen or heard of him before, but, wow, what an intro!

He invited me to join him on the piano bench and together we plunked out a few tunes and generally had a ball. The six hours I had to wait before I actually had a place to live passed in what seemed like a few minutes. I sat there and sang and played piano and killed time while behind the scenes there was a scramble. Unknown to me until later, I had no berthing. A girl had escaped earlier that day and they were waiting to see if she returned. But I just sat there having a good time.

Dick was a goodwill ambassador for Scientology. He recorded a couple of albums through Capitol that sort of did ok, his voice was tuneful, but no more than any other singer of the day. He has a few tunes on YouTube, like this one, if you care to listen.

All in all, you would say he was unremarkable, but he wasn’t. He lit up a room and it remained lit long after he left. You couldn’t explain the feeling, but if you were lucky enough to be around Dick, you knew you were in the presence of greatness.

For over 20 years, Dick used his self-deprecating humor and larger than life personality to promote Scientology.

As is the case with anything to do with Scientology, sometimes he was greeted with open arms, others with skepticism. Although he always had an adoring audience of Scientologists, even in the the 1970s questions were raised as to his credibility in newspaper articles.

Denver Post June 19, 1974 

Willoughby OH News Herald February 13, 1976 

During some of that time, when I was still part of Scientology, Dick and I were good friends, or as close to a friend as you can have in Scientology. Even when long stretches of time had passed since we saw each other, he remembered my name each time we reconnected. We played beautiful music together and he was one of a very few people during that period of time with whom I could share a confidence. He was a sweet, kind man and never betrayed my confidences.

As life went on, he started suffering from the side effects of untreated diabetes brought on by his increasing weight. At this time due to health reasons, he focused more of his energies on his health, than traveling. He went to Portland and became a sales manager at a radio station there. He then chose to return to California. I don’t know why.

He was an honorary Sea Org member, due to his extensive drug history during the 60’s, so he did not owe it to the Sea Org to return. However, like most Scientologists, there is an intense loyalty that is impossible to explain to someone who hasn’t been there that makes a person do things that seem illogical to those looking in.

He did not have health insurance, nor was he paid by the Sea Org for his efforts as an honorary member. He spent his life promoting Scientology. He was wheelchair bound by the time he died, yet despite the tremendous goodwill he created for Scientology, no health benefits were offered him. He was offloaded when he became a liability for Scientology.

He died of a heart attack in Glendale, California July 20, 1992.

Unlike most Scientologists, he, surprisingly, had a memorial service both at the Celebrity Centre in LA and, according to his obituary, also at the CC in Portland. After ignoring him until he died, his memorial service reads like a who’s who of Scientology, including the funeral ovation by the President of the Church of Scientology International.

Celebrity Centre International
Memorial Service August 2, 1992
RICHARD MICHAEL GLASS
Born: June 2, 1940 Troy, New York
Died: July 30, 1992 Los Angeles, California

Opening Song – “You Can’t Stop Tomorrow”
Master Of Ceremonies: Welcome to all “About the Author” – by Dick Glass
To Dick – poem by Barbara Cordova
Music by Dick Glass:
“You Can’t Stop Tomorrow” RCA Records
**“The Golden Dawn” – Yvonne Gillham. (This is an essay written by Hubbard and recorded by Yvonne.) Historically interesting to hear her voice. Produced by and music by Dick Glass, Axioms Productions
“Beautiful Day, Beautiful People Capitol Records
“Elephant Country” Capitol Records
Memories by his Friends
Music by Dick Glass: “Sometimes I Hear the Sun” – Dan Perz
Poem by Dick Glass read to music DAMP Records “Sailing” RCA Records
Eulogy – by Sonja Svensen
Funeral Oration – Rev. Heber Jentzsch Ode to Man

He was short in stature but he had a colosseum sized personality and a heart to match. Like any other person who is drawn into Scientology’s orbit, he was used until he could no longer function, then discarded. 

I remember him for making me feel like someone listened to me in a situation where communication was preached yet discouraged. I remember his honesty in a group of people who spent most of their time lying. And most of all, I remember the fact that I always left his presence smiling. Thank you Dick. You are remembered.