Dr. Louis B. Tharp

Dr. Lou Tharp graduated from Yale University, with magna cum laude on his diploma. He was offered a fellowship by the Rockefeller Foundation to spend one trial-year in any theological seminary. He chose Fuller Theological Seminary. At the end of the year, he decided that he wanted to be a psychologist instead of a minister. He entered Claremont Graduate School, often called the “Harvard of the West” - where he earned his master’s and PhD degrees. He became a professor at Long Beach City College in California. He was constantly creating new courses, including one called “Great Issues in Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion” which become the most popular course on campus. Tharp loved teaching freshman and adult students – and he loved the sea. Almost every weekend he sailed his Catalina 30 yacht to Catalina Island.

He also had the energy to pursue business ventures. He started a student tour company – called World Academic Holidays – which soon was sending over 500 students each summer on educational tours all over the world. This allowed him to spend summers jumping all over the world, coordinating the many travel groups. He also created a video production company – Teleo Creations – and filmed an infomercial on “Positive Parenting”.

After retiring from his professorship, Tharp became Director of Online Learning for the education department of Malaysia. In just two years he taught over 500 teachers how to create over 350 different online courses for 50,000 students in over 20 institutions. The curriculum featured a wide variety of subjects - from Advanced Physics to Aircraft Maintenance to Motorcycle Repair – including Islamic Studies.

He retired to Florida with his wife Monette and their children, Luckywin and Godwin. He enjoys fishing in the Gulf - and writing.