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'{{Infobox person | name = Heber Carl Jentzsch | image = | imagesize = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|11|30}}{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} | birth_place = [[Salt Lake City, Utah]] | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = President, [[Church of Scientology International]] | salary = [[USD|US$]]Unknown | networth = [[USD|US$]]Unknown | spouse = Yvonne Gillham<br/>Karen de la Carriere | website = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm |date=* |title=Scientology Bio }} }} '''Heber Carl Jentzsch''' (born November 30, 1935)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/10-000-scientologists-got-this-e-mail-today-about-disconnection-their-church-president-and-a-mysterious-death-6723502|title=10,000 Scientologists Got This E-Mail Today About "Disconnection," their Church President, and a Mysterious Death|last=Ortega|first=Tony|date=2012-07-09|website=Village Voice|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref> has served as president of the [[Church of Scientology International]] since 1982. ==Early life== Heber Jentzsch was born in 1935 in Salt Lake City<ref>[http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/07/scientology_heber_jentzsch_karen_de_la_carriere_email.php] ''Village Voice'', 10 July 2012.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ybE9AQAAIAAJ&q=Heber+Jentzsch+1935&dq=Heber+Jentzsch+1935&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uKqMVfGKCdWEyQTCnJOYAw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg]</ref> and grew up in a [[Mormon]] family and named after Latter-day Saint apostle [[Heber C. Kimball]].<ref name="slctrib921209"/> Though he was never baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he identified himself as a "believing Mormon",<ref>{{cite episode | title = Inside the Church of Scientology | series = Larry King Live | serieslink = Larry King Live | airdate = 1993-12-20}}</ref> He is the son of polygamist Carl Jentzsch and Carl's third wife Pauline; Heber has 42 siblings.<ref>"Scientologists march on courthouse", UPI 20.5.1985</ref> Carl was arrested in 1955 and excommunicated from [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]].<ref name="slctrib921209"/> Heber Jentzsch was educated at [[Weber College]] in [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]], [[Utah]] and the [[University of Utah]], where he graduated in 1959 with a degree in communications.<ref name="slctrib921209">"Utah-Born Scientology President Says the Religion Saved His Life", ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', 9.12.1992</ref><ref>[http://www.alumni.utah.edu/u-news/april04/postit.htm University of Utah Alumni Association, April 2004]</ref> He also studied Eastern religions.<ref name="naisbitt">Jentzsch biography in John Naisbitt, ''High Tech High Touch: Technology and Our Accelerated Search for Meaning'', p. 253. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2004.</ref> Before 1967, Jentzsch worked as a journalist for the ''[[Los Angeles Free Press]]'' and an actor, having a bit part in the movie ''[[Paint Your Wagon (film)|Paint Your Wagon]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | journal=LA Weekly| first=Ron|last=Curran|date=April 4, 1986 |volume=9 |issue=19|title=Scientology: The other side of the looking glass}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Scientology - The Road to Total Freedom? |series=Panorama |serieslink=Panorama_(TV_series) |network=[[BBC]] |station=BBC1 |airdate=27 April 1987 }}</ref> He played a small part in an episode of the 1960s television series ''[[Combat!]]'', and an uncredited role in the movie ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]''.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0421803|name=Heber Jentzsch}}</ref> ==Scientology== Jentzsch joined the Church of Scientology in 1967 after allegedly being cured by the Scientology [[Purification Rundown]] of radiation burns he had suffered since he was 15.<ref name="slctrib921209"/> During the 1970s, Jentzsch became the public relations director of the later-notorious [[Guardian's Office]], serving as the Church of Scientology's chief press spokesman.<ref>Omar V. Garrison, ''Playing Dirty'', p. 142. Ralston-Pilot, 1980. {{ISBN|0-931116-04-X}}</ref> He has continued in this role since his promotion to the post of President of the Church of Scientology International in 1982. In January 1986, Jentzsch faced the press on behalf of the Church to announce the death of [[L. Ron Hubbard]].<ref>Jon Atack, ''A Piece of Blue Sky'', p. 354. Lyle Stuart, 1990. {{ISBN|0-8184-0499-X}}</ref> He has often appeared in newspaper interviews, aggressively defending the church on several occasions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xenutv.com/us/geraldo-heber.htm |title=Jentzsch appears on talk show Geraldo in 1991 |deadurl=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228092004/http://www.xenutv.com/us/geraldo-heber.htm |archivedate=2009-12-28 |df= }} (available at as of 8 Feb 2016)</ref> Despite his media prominence, Jentzsch has been called a [[titular head|titular]] president.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951938-6,00.html Mystery of the Vanished Ruler], TIME, January 31, 1983</ref> He is sometimes described as "the leading spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International" in Church publications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm |title=Heber C. Jentzsch, official biography |accessdate=2006-10-20 |deadurl=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113165445/http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm |archivedate=January 13, 2009 |df= }}</ref> ==Arrest and trial in Spain== In 1988 Heber Jentzsch was arrested in [[Spain]] along with 69 other members of Scientology.<ref>{{Cite news | last = UPI | title = 51 Scientology leaders charged | newspaper = The Ottawa Citizen | pages = A13 | date = 1988-11-22 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | first = Stephen | last = Koff | title = Judge orders Scientology leader jailed | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/51428680.html?FMT=FT&dids=51428680:51428680&FMTS=ABS:FT | work = | publisher = [[St. Petersburg Times]] | date = 1988-11-24 | accessdate = 2007-12-24 }}</ref> Jentzsch was incarcerated in a Spanish jail for about three weeks.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1989/01/16/71535/index.htm FOLLOW-UPS: SHAMED IN SPAIN], Fortune, January 16, 1989</ref> He was released and fled to the United States after Scientology paid a bail bond of approximately $1 million. Sixteen people, including Jentzsch, were charged with "illegal association" and various other crimes including tax fraud and endangering public health. The trial of the indictees began in February 2001, but Jentzsch himself did not appear; the prosecution called for him to be given a 56-year prison sentence.<ref>{{cite news|title=15 Scientologists on Trial|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 8, 2001|author=[[Agence France-Presse]]|page=13; Section A; Column 6; Foreign Desk; Late Edition - Final; Dateline: Madrid, Feb. 7; Length: 87 words}}</ref> However, the Madrid Provincial Court dismissed all but the conspiracy charge and eventually ruled ([[Trial in absentia|in absentia]]) that the prosecution had presented insufficient evidence to prove this charge as well,<ref>"Spanish Court Acquits Scientologists", Associated Press, December 3, 2001</ref> and in April 2002, the last charge was formally dropped. The court ordered the bail bond be returned to Scientology with interest, nearly doubling the original 1988 bond amount.<ref>"Spanish court drops charges against Scientology chief after 14 years", Agence France Presse, April 11, 2002</ref> ==Marriage and children== Heber Jentzsch was married to Australian Scientologist Yvonne Gillham (née Harding-Wilson) from 1972 until her death in 1978.<ref>http://scientolipedia.org/info/Yvonne_Gillham_Jentzsch</ref> In 1978-1988 he married then-Scientologist Karen de la Carriere (b. 1944); in September 2010 she left the church and began a crusade against it, claiming that Jentzsch had not been seen publicly since 2004.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2744101/Karen-lived-like-Queen-wife-Scientology-s-President-But-fell-grace-punished-The-Hole-When-left-church-35-years-son-turned-against-Here-reveals-disturbing-story.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2744101/Karen-lived-like-Queen-wife-Scientology-s-President-But-fell-grace-punished-The-Hole-When-left-church-35-years-son-turned-against-Here-reveals-disturbing-story.html]</ref> ==Articles== * Jentzsch, Heber (2000-04-21). [http://articles.latimes.com/2000/apr/21/local/me-22017 "Liberty, Equality, Intolerance"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. * Jentzsch, Heber (1998-02-25). [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDB153EF936A15751C0A96E958260 "German Scientologists" (letter to the Editor)], ''[[New York Times]]''. ==Sources== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{Portal|United States|Biography|Scientology}} *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/biographies/jentzsch.html |date=* |title=Scientology Biography }} {{Scientology}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jentzsch, Heber}} [[Category:American Scientologists]] [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:Former Latter Day Saints]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Scientology officials]] [[Category:University of Utah alumni]] [[Category:Weber State University alumni]]'