| 1925 | William Glasser is born on May 11th, in Cleveland Ohio to Ben and Betty Glasser. |
| 1942 | Graduates from Cleveland Heights High School. Enters CASE School of Applied Science. |
| 1945 | Completes B.Sc. degree in chemical engineering and begins work as a chemical engineer for Lubrizol at CASE. |
| 1946 | Enrols in a psychology program at Western Reserve University in the spring and enters Master’s program in the fall. Is drafted into the army and after basic training in Alexandria, Virginia, goes to Dugway Proving Ground in Utah where he tests German poisonous gasses. |
| 1947 | Is discharged from the chemical corps after 7 months service and re-enters Master’s Program at Western Reserve. |
| 1948 | Completes Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and enters the doctoral program at Western Reserve. |
| 1949 | Enters Western Reserve University Medical School. |
| 1953 | Graduates from Medical School. Begins internship as a physician at Veterans Administration Centre in Los Angeles, CA. |
| 1954 | Commences psychiatric residency as a ward doctor at the Brentwood Veterans Neuropsychiatric Hospital in West Los Angeles. Works with male patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. |
| 1956 | Begins work as a psychiatrist for the Ventura School for Delinquent Girls and also at the Neuropsychiatric Institute and Outpatient Clinic at UCLA. Meets with G.L. Harrington who says, “join the club” of those who do not believe in mental illness. Opens private practice office. |
| 1957 | Completes residency at VA Hospital and at UCLA. Commences work with paraplegics at the Orthopaedic Hospital. |
| 1958 | Begins lecturing on mental health vs. mental illness for the California Youth Authority. |
| 1960 | First book “Mental Health or Mental Illness?” is published |
| 1961 | Becomes a Board Certified Psychiatrist. Starts using his ideas in public schools in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Palo Alto, CA. Is invited to a “think tank” at the Corning Conference in New York. |
| 1962 | First coins the term for his ideas as “reality psychiatry” at an America Correctional Association lecture In Seattle, WA. In October, while lecturing at the British Columbia Correctional Association, he changes the name to “Reality Therapy” in order to reach all people working in the helping professions, not just psychiatrists. |
| 1963 | Extensive Lecturing in Addictions and Corrections while maintaining a private practice. |
| 1964 | After consulting for eight years with G.L. Harrington, Dr. Glasser prepared for his upcoming book. |
| 1965 | “Reality Therapy” is published by Harper and Row and is a huge success. Begins working in Watts in the Los Angeles Unified Public School District. |
| 1966 | Finishes work at the Orthopaedic Hospital. |
| 1967 | Establishes The Institute for Reality Therapy. Continues work at the Ventura School for Delinquent Girls. |
| 1968 | Educator Training Center is established with Doug Naylor as the Director. Works with Donald O’Donnell, Principal in Palo Alto, to create a model elementary school program. |
| 1969 | “Schools Without Failure” is published. |
| 1970 | Is interviewed by U.S. News and World Report. |
| 1971 | Consults with schools to create Schools Without Failure. |
| 1972 | “Identity Society” is published. |
| 1973 | Continues to consult with schools. |
| 1974 | Books sell all over the world and are translated into almost every language in the civilised world. Interview by Berges in the Los Angeles Times. |
| 1975 | Produces a play (which he wrote) called “Beehive,” which runs for 6-7 months in LA theatres. (Coincidentally, the TV series, Three’s Company, airs the following season with the same theme as Beehive.) The first Reality Therapy Certification class is held. |
| 1976 | “Positive Addiction” is published. Meets William Powers after reading his book, “Behaviour: The Control of Perception”. |
| 1977 | Goes to Chicago to consult with Powers. Interview by Muro for article in The Humanist Educator. Begins to develop a theory of human behaviour based on William Powers’ ideas. |
| 1978 | Writing and working with the ideas of Control Theory. |
| 1979 | Lecturing extensively throughout the United States and Canada. |
| 1980 | “What Are You Doing?”, a book on case studies, is published, edited by his wife Naomi Glasser. The 1st Convention is held in Los Angeles. |
| 1981 | “Stations of the Mind” is published. The 2nd Reality Therapy Convention is held in St.Charles, IL. Advisory Board of Directors of The Institute for Reality Therapy is formed. The International Journal of Reality Therapy is launched with Dr. Larry Litwack as editor. |
| 1982 | Interview by Evans for The Personnel and Guidance Journal. The 3rd International Convention is held in Houston, TX. |
| 1983 | The 4th International Convention is held in Boston, MA. |
| 1984 | “Take Effective Control of Your Life” is published. The 5th International Convention is held in Copper Mountain, CO. |
| 1985 | “Take Effective Control of Your Life” is reprinted in paperback as “Control Theory”. The 6th Annual International Conference is held in Montreal, Quebec. Dr. Glasser gives his first lecture and course in Ireland. |
| 1986 | “Control Theory in the Classroom” is published. The Glasser Scholarship Fund is started to help provide training for Reality Therapy Certification. Private practice office is closed due to extensive lecture schedule, world-wide. The 7th International Convention is held in Seattle, WA. |
| 1987 | Is interviewed by Gough for the Phi Delta Kappan Magazine. Senior Faculty training program developed for instructors. The 8th Annual International Convention is held in Hollywood, FL |
| 1988 | Brandt interview in Educational Leadership. Robert Wubbolding becomes the first Director of Training. The 9th Annual International Convention is held in Scottsdale, AZ. Achievement Inc. is launched in Toyko, Japan. |
| 1989 | Is invited to join the distinguished faculty of pioneers in the psychological professions for the renowned Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference. Cockrum interview in Psychology, A Journal of Human Behaviour. “Control Theory in the Practice of Reality Therapy” is published. The 10th Annual International Convention is held in Kansas City, MO. |
| 1990 | “The Quality School” is published. Chance/Bibens interview in Middle School Journal. Receives honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, from the University of San Francisco. Begins disassociating himself from discipline programs in schools. The 11th Annual Convention is held in Cincinnati, OH., marking the 25th anniversary of the book, Reality Therapy. |
| 1991 | The Quality School ideas spread and training to establish the first Glasser Quality School in Michigan takes place. No Annual Convention is held this year but regional conferences take place. |
| 1992 | The 12th Annual International Convention is held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada in July. Naomi Glasser, wife of 46 years, dies of cancer in December. The Institute members sadly mourn her death. “The Quality School Teacher” is published. |
| 1994 | “The Control Theory Manager” is published. Begins a serious relationship with Carleen Floyd, an instructor for The Institute, with a school counselling background. Together they begin work in the Schwab Middle School in Cincinnati, OH., to train staff in the Quality School ideas. The 13th Annual International Convention is held in Dublin, Ireland. |
| 1995 | “Staying Together” is published. Marries Carleen, July 8, 1995 at the 14th International Convention in Philadelphia, PA. While in Ireland, Irish instructors say the title “Control” Theory is misleading and should be changed to reflect the rejection of external control. At a video recording session Dr Glasser decides to change the name to “Choice Theory”. Presents at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference in Las Vegas, NV. |
| 1996 | “Choice Theory” officially replaces “Control Theory” in a talk just north of Brisbane, Australia – part of an extensive three month speaking tour in New Zealand, Australia, Korea, Japan and Singapore. The name of The Institute for Reality Therapy, Control Theory, and Lead Management is changed to The William Glasser Institute. At the 15th International Convention in Albuquerque, NM, Glasser takes a formal stand against the use of discipline programs in all schools. This resulted in some faculty leaving The Institute. |
| 1997 | Educator Training Center is dissolved. The 16th International Convention is held in Portland, OR. The Glassers speak throughout Europe, Norway, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland and Great Britain. Coins the subtitle for the new book “Choice Theory” to be “A New Psychology of Personal Freedom” because to the Croatians and Slovenians, Choice Theory represents “freedom”. Presented the Quality Community ideas to the Corning New York School District. |
| 1998 | “Choice Theory”, is published, and “Choice Theory the Flip Side of Control” (co-authored by Carleen) is published in 1999 by HarperCollins as “The Language of Choice Theory”. The 17th Annual Convention is held in Orlando, Florida. The Glassers speak in Galway and London. |
| 1999 | The 18th William Glasser Institute International Convention is held in Los Angeles, CA. The Glassers speak in Bogota, Colombia in August. Four more books are in production. |
| 2000 | “What is This Thing Called Love?” co-authored with Carleen is self-published, as is “Every Student Can Succeed”. “Getting Together and Staying Together” (also co-authored with Carleen) is published by Harper Collins. “Reality Therapy in Action” (later called “Counselling with Choice Theory, the New Reality Therapy”) follows. Speaks at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference in Anaheim, California. The 19th International Convention is held in Ottawa, Canada. Speaks in Israel and Slovenia. |
| 2001 | “Fibromyalgia: Hope From a Completely New Perspective” is self-published. “Control Theory in the Classroom” is reprinted as “Choice Theory in the Classroom”. The 20th Annual International Convention is held in Sydney, Australia. Dr. Glasser promotes Linda Harshman, Administrator, to the position of Executive Director of the Institute. |
| 2002 | Nelson interview for Teacher Education Quarterly. “Unhappy Teenagers” is published and later called “For Parents and Teenagers”. The 21st International Convention is held in San Antonio, TX. Consultation with staff of Torrance Memorial Hospital, CA begins. |
| 2003 | “Warning Psychiatry Can be Hazardous to Your Mental Health” is published. Glasser Biography book by Jim Roy is commenced. The 22nd International Conference is held in Seattle, WA |
| 2004 | Is honoured by the American Counselling Association as a Legend in Counselling for developing Reality Therapy. The 23rd William Glasser Institute International Conference is held in Schaumburg, IL. |
| 2005 | “Defining Mental Health as a Public Health Problem” (later called “Defining Mental Health as a Public Health Issue”) booklet is published. Sixty-five thousand copies are released and eight thousand and five hundred are given as handouts at The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference in Anaheim, CA. The 24th International Conference is held in Dublin, Ireland, marking Carleen & Bill’s 10th wedding anniversary. |
| 2006 | Begins teaching Choice Theory as a class in the addictions counselling program at Loyola Marymount University with Bradley Smith. Receives an honorary degree of Doctorate of Education from Pacific Union College, Angwin, CA. The 25th William Glasser Institute International Conference is held in Jersey City, NJ. |
| 2007 | The William Glasser Foundation is started at Loyola Marymount University. The book, “Eight Lessons for a Happier Marriage” is copyrighted for publication by HarperCollins. The 26th International Conference is held in Seattle, WA. |
| 2008 | The William Glasser Institute for Research in Public Mental Health is established in the Psychology Department at Loyola Marymount University and funded by Foundation donors. Japanese company, Achievement, Inc. celebrates 20th anniversary of teaching Glasser’s ideas to businesses with a speaking tour by the Glassers in Japan and the release of the book “Eight Lessons for a Happier Marriage” in Japanese. The 27th International Conference is held in Colorado Springs, CO. Through the efforts of EART President Leon Lojk, Reality Therapy is recognised as a scientifically validated psychotherapy by the European Association for Psychotherapy. |
| 2009 | The 28th William Glasser Institute International Conference (also the 4th European Conference) is held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Choice Theory and Reality Therapy have, to date, spread to over thirty-five countries. There are 77,405 people who have taken at least a Basic Intensive and a total of 10,851 people have become Reality Therapy Certified. |
| 2010 | At the International Conference in Nashville, Tn. USA, a proposal to form an International Board to run WGI was formally made by Brian Lennon, supported fully by Dr. Glasser and was approved by the membership. A decision was taken to set up an Interim Board for one year to establish the electoral system. |
| 2012 | The new International Board planned and ran an international conference in Los Angeles, California, USA. This was attended by Dr. William Glasser and his wife Carleen. |
| 2013 | On Friday 23rd August 2013, Dr. Glasser passed away at his home in Los Angeles. |
With thanks to www.wglasser.com for permission to reproduce the original chart.
A full account of William Glasser’s life is provided in the biography written by Jim Roy.
“William Glasser: Champion of Choice” by Jim Roy Ed.D. Published 2014 by Zeig, Tucker & Thiesen, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 420 pages.
ISBN: 978-1-934442-47-0