Florence Littauer | |
---|---|
Born | Florence Chapman April 27, 1928 |
Died | July 11, 2020 (aged 92) |
Occupation | Author, speaker |
Notable works | Personality Plus |
Spouse | Fred Littauer (1953–2002; his death) |
Children | 5 |
Florence Littauer (née Chapman; April 27, 1928 – July 11, 2020)[1] was an American Christian self-help author and public speaker. Littauer is best known for her series of books based upon the Personality Plus personality system.[2] She was listed as one of Helen K. Hosier's "100 Christian Women Who Changed the Twentieth Century" and has received the National Speakers Association's Council of Peers Award for Excellence and has been designated by them as a Certified Speaking Professional.[3][4]
The daughter of Walter and Katie F. Chapman, she grew up in her father's store in Haverhill, Massachusetts, sharing three rooms with her family. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a scholarship,[5] where she earned a Bachelor's degree in English with a minor in psychiatry.[6]
She met her future husband, Fred Littauer (died 2002), at a Jewish day camp for girls, with the two becoming engaged about a year later.[7] The wedding was covered by Life Goes to a Wedding and the two had five children together. Their third child, Fred Jr "Freddie", died from issues related to seizures he suffered during his infancy and their fourth child, Larry (deceased), suffered from a brain disorder and was institutionalized.[7][8] During this time Littauer suffered depression, which continued until she met Roy Gustafson, a member of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team.[6]
From this meeting Littauer and her husband began a ministry, a public speaking business, and a series of religious themed books.[9] The Littauers adopted their final child, a boy, following Freddie's death. In October 2002, Fred died of a heart attack at their home while Littauer was away on a speaking engagement. Behind the Personality: The Story of My Life was in its final editing stages at that time and Littauer inserted a tribute to her late husband in the final chapter of the book.[10]
None of these types is specifically described as being positive or negative - hence the combination of positive and negative adjectives (i.e. "Powerful" with "Choleric"). They each have upsides and downsides. The characteristics are for observing and identifying, rather than judging.[citation needed]