Charles Francis Haanel was born May 22nd 1866 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, though his death certificate says Lansing. He was the first child and son of Hugo Paul Haanel and Emeline Cordelia Fox. Hugo came to the USA in 1861, following his younger brother Eugene, who had left Prussia in 1857. The two young men, born in the Silesia, Prussia, were the sons of Franz Haanel and Anna Herde. Emeline was the daughter of farmer Charles Fox and his wife Esther Fitch, both originally from the state of New York.
Charles grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father was a teacher. After attending public schools, Charles got a job as an office boy at the Neidringhaus National Enameling and Stamping Company. He is believed to have worked there for 15 years. During this time he met and married Esther Martha Smith. They had five children before Esther died in 1904. Haanel remarried in 1908 to Margaret Sinclair Nicholson, seemingly known as "Pearl" to her family. Two children were born of this marriage. Of Haanel's children, one died while still a child and his second son died in an automobile accident while serving in the Army during World War Two.
After leaving the Neidringhaus company, Haanel was for a while a publisher but then in 1898 he talked local businessmen into buying land in Mexico to grow coffee and sugar. This eventually became the Continental Commercial Company in 1905, of which Haanel was for a time president. He was also president of several other companies including the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company. The latter proved to be a failure and some time after 1911 Haanel began to write his famous The Master Key System - first in 24 weekly parts and later in book form. The earliest known version was copyrighted in 1916. Haanel continued with this work, plus wrote several more similar books, until his death. Margaret survived him by two years and died on October 2nd 1951.
A number of myths exist about Charles F. Haanel. In spite of them, however, he didn't sell secret knowledge to a select few at an exorbitant price, his books were never banned by the Roman Catholic Church and The Master Key System didn't disappear for 70 years. In addition, there is no evidence that Bill Gates became a multi-millionaire after reading the Master Key System. (Bio written by Charles W. Evans-Gunther)
Charles grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father was a teacher. After attending public schools, Charles got a job as an office boy at the Neidringhaus National Enameling and Stamping Company. He is believed to have worked there for 15 years. During this time he met and married Esther Martha Smith. They had five children before Esther died in 1904. Haanel remarried in 1908 to Margaret Sinclair Nicholson, seemingly known as "Pearl" to her family. Two children were born of this marriage. Of Haanel's children, one died while still a child and his second son died in an automobile accident while serving in the Army during World War Two.
After leaving the Neidringhaus company, Haanel was for a while a publisher but then in 1898 he talked local businessmen into buying land in Mexico to grow coffee and sugar. This eventually became the Continental Commercial Company in 1905, of which Haanel was for a time president. He was also president of several other companies including the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company. The latter proved to be a failure and some time after 1911 Haanel began to write his famous The Master Key System - first in 24 weekly parts and later in book form. The earliest known version was copyrighted in 1916. Haanel continued with this work, plus wrote several more similar books, until his death. Margaret survived him by two years and died on October 2nd 1951.
A number of myths exist about Charles F. Haanel. In spite of them, however, he didn't sell secret knowledge to a select few at an exorbitant price, his books were never banned by the Roman Catholic Church and The Master Key System didn't disappear for 70 years. In addition, there is no evidence that Bill Gates became a multi-millionaire after reading the Master Key System. (Bio written by Charles W. Evans-Gunther)
Charles Francis Haanel was born May 22nd 1866 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, though his death certificate says Lansing. He was the first child and son of Hugo Paul Haanel and Emeline Cordelia Fox. Hugo came to the USA in 1861, following his younger brother Eugene, who had left Prussia in 1857. The two young men, born in the Silesia, Prussia, were the sons of Franz Haanel and Anna Herde. Emeline was the daughter of farmer Charles Fox and his wife Esther Fitch, both originally from the state of New York.
Charles grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father was a teacher. After attending public schools, Charles got a job as an office boy at the Neidringhaus National Enameling and Stamping Company. He is believed to have worked there for 15 years. During this time he met and married Esther Martha Smith. They had five children before Esther died in 1904. Haanel remarried in 1908 to Margaret Sinclair Nicholson, seemingly known as "Pearl" to her family. Two children were born of this marriage. Of Haanel's children, one died while still a child and his second son died in an automobile accident while serving in the Army during World War Two.
After leaving the Neidringhaus company, Haanel was for a while a publisher but then in 1898 he talked local businessmen into buying land in Mexico to grow coffee and sugar. This eventually became the Continental Commercial Company in 1905, of which Haanel was for a time president. He was also president of several other companies including the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company. The latter proved to be a failure and some time after 1911 Haanel began to write his famous The Master Key System - first in 24 weekly parts and later in book form. The earliest known version was copyrighted in 1916. Haanel continued with this work, plus wrote several more similar books, until his death. Margaret survived him by two years and died on October 2nd 1951.
A number of myths exist about Charles F. Haanel. In spite of them, however, he didn't sell secret knowledge to a select few at an exorbitant price, his books were never banned by the Roman Catholic Church and The Master Key System didn't disappear for 70 years. In addition, there is no evidence that Bill Gates became a multi-millionaire after reading the Master Key System. (Bio written by Charles W. Evans-Gunther)
Charles grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father was a teacher. After attending public schools, Charles got a job as an office boy at the Neidringhaus National Enameling and Stamping Company. He is believed to have worked there for 15 years. During this time he met and married Esther Martha Smith. They had five children before Esther died in 1904. Haanel remarried in 1908 to Margaret Sinclair Nicholson, seemingly known as "Pearl" to her family. Two children were born of this marriage. Of Haanel's children, one died while still a child and his second son died in an automobile accident while serving in the Army during World War Two.
After leaving the Neidringhaus company, Haanel was for a while a publisher but then in 1898 he talked local businessmen into buying land in Mexico to grow coffee and sugar. This eventually became the Continental Commercial Company in 1905, of which Haanel was for a time president. He was also president of several other companies including the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company. The latter proved to be a failure and some time after 1911 Haanel began to write his famous The Master Key System - first in 24 weekly parts and later in book form. The earliest known version was copyrighted in 1916. Haanel continued with this work, plus wrote several more similar books, until his death. Margaret survived him by two years and died on October 2nd 1951.
A number of myths exist about Charles F. Haanel. In spite of them, however, he didn't sell secret knowledge to a select few at an exorbitant price, his books were never banned by the Roman Catholic Church and The Master Key System didn't disappear for 70 years. In addition, there is no evidence that Bill Gates became a multi-millionaire after reading the Master Key System. (Bio written by Charles W. Evans-Gunther)
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