Peale, Norman Vincent (1898-1993), an American clergyman, won fame for his writings and his radio and television programs. Believing that one of the main tasks of religion is to help people, Peale wrote several books on the topic. They include The Power of Positive Thinking (1952) and The Tough-Minded Optimist (1961). He edited a magazine, Guideposts, and a newspaper column, “Confident Living.”
Peale was born on May 31, 1898, in Bowersville, Ohio. He became a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1922. In 1932, he became pastor of the Marble Collegiate Reformed Church in New York City. He became semiretired in 1984. He died on Dec. 24, 1993.
