Charles Francis Haanell (May 22, 1866 - November 27, 1949) was a noted American New Thought author, philosopher and a businessman. He is best known for his contributions to the New Thought Movement through his book
The Master Key System. The Haanel family was of Swedish extraction, but had lived in Silesia, Prussia, before emigrating to Canada and thence to the United States.
He was a member of the Republican Party, a Freemason and Shriner affiliated with St. Louis Keystone Lodge No.243, (A.F. & A.M.) and a supporter of the Missouri Athletic Club. He was a member of Pi Gamma Mu Fraternity, a Fellow of the London College of Psychotherapy, a member of the Authors League of America; a member of the American Society of Psychical Research; a member of the Society of Rosicrucians; a member of the American Suggestive Therapeutical Association; and a member of the Science League of America. During his life, Haanel earned and received several honorary academic degrees, including hon. Ph.D., College National Electronic Institute; Metaphysics, Psy. D., College of Divine Metaphysics; and M.D., Universal College of Dupleix, India.
Haanel's book The Master Key System, was published in 1912, when he was 46 years old. It is written in the form of a course in New Thought, mental development, financial success, and personal health. The book was heavily promoted in the pages of Elizabeth Towne's New Thought magazine The Nautilus. By 1933 it had allegedly sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. Haanel practiced the financial principles he preached, and was a self made success who owned several major companies. According to Stevens, writing in 1909, "He was president of the Continental Commercial Company, president of the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company, and president of the Mexico Gold & Silver Mining Company."
The original Master Key System contained 24 parts or modules of study. The allegedly "lost" chapters of the Master Key System, chapters 25-28, which are found in some editions, are not original, but have been copied from the chapters 11-14 of A book about You.
