Lionel Logue

Lionel Logue (1930)

Lionel George Logue , CVO (born February 26, 1880 in Adelaide , South Australia , † April 12, 1953 in London ) was an Australian speech therapist . Logue became known for his stuttering British King George VI. successfully treated.

Early life

Lionel Logue was born in 1880 as the first of four children of George Edward Logue and his wife Lavinia Rankin in the South Australian metropolis of Adelaide. Logue's father initially worked as an accountant in the brewery founded by Lionel Logue's Irish-born grandfather in 1850, and after its merger with the South Australian Brewing Company in 1868, he ran the Burnside Hotel and the Elephant and Castle Hotel.

Between 1889 and 1896, Lionel Logue attended Prince Alfred College. He then took a course in lecturing art from Edward Reeves and became Reeves secretary and assistant. In 1902 Logue studied music at the University of Adelaides Elder Conservatorium. He later went to Western Australia and was a temporary gold miner in Kalgoorlie .

Professional career

Lionel Logue's professional career began in the Western Australian capital, Perth . In addition to teaching lectures, drama and free speech, he conducted public recitation events and founded a public speech club. His part-time work has taken him to numerous schools and institutions such as the YMCA , the Methodist Ladies College and the Lorete Convent. In 1911 he went on a world tour to study methods of speech therapy. He achieved success in the treatment of war veterans of the First World War , who also suffered from speech disorders as a result of their experience as a war tremor . In addition to physical exercises that affected the patient's breathing, Logue's treatment included a therapy that included humor, patience, and interpersonal sympathy.

In 1924 Lionel Logue moved to England with his wife and three children, ostensibly to take a vacation. In truth, he took jobs in schools in the London area treating language disorders. In 1926 he opened a speech therapy practice on Harley Street , London. Logue demanded reasonable fees from wealthy clients and, on the other hand, treated financially needy patients free of charge. Here, in 1926, Prince Albert, Duke of York , younger son of the reigning English King George V , visited him to seek treatment for his stuttering. In 1935 Logue co-founded the British Society for Speech Therapists and in 1944 co-founded the College of Speech Therapists .

Treatment of King George VI.

As the king's later son, Prince Albert, Duke of York, had public duties to take on. The Duke was terrified of public speeches as he stuttered. His closing speech at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley on October 31, 1925 was a disaster. This experience led Albert to seek professional treatment for his speech disorder and he turned to Lionel Logue for help. With the therapeutic measures of Logue, the Duke of York calmed down and gained confidence in his language skills. As early as 1927 Albert gave the opening speech of the Australian Parliament in Canberra without stuttering once. Logue and Albert also worked together for the next two decades. At Albert's coronation speech as King George VI of England . and Logue was at his side during the King's radio speeches on the occasion of World War II , in which he encouraged his people. The two men had a lifelong friendship. In thanks for his help, King George VI. Lionel Logue membership in the Royal Victorian Order . On May 11, 1937 he became a member (MVO) of the order and in 1944 was appointed Commander (CVO).

Lionel Logue with his fiancee Myrtle Gruenert, 1906

Private life

On March 20, 1907, Lionel Logue married 21-year-old Myrtle Gruenert at St. George's Anglican Cathedral in Perth. The marriage resulted in the three sons Anthony, Laurie and Valentine Logue. Logue was a Christian scientist for the time of his professional life .

Lionel Logue had been a member of the Freemasons Association since 1908 . In 1919 he became lodge master of JD Stevenson St. George's Lodge No. 6 elected in Australia.

After the death of his wife in 1945 he showed an increased interest in spiritism .

Film adaptation and novels

• Lionel Logue's grandson, Mark, wrote a book with Peter Conradi about his grandfather's relationship with the Duke of York, later King George VI, entitled The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy .
• Trevor Littledale processed Logue's relationship with George VI. 2008 in the radio contribution A King's Speech .
• The speech therapy of King George VI. is the subject of the 2011 British drama The King's Speech, which won four Oscars . The role of the king is played by Colin Firth , Lionel Logue is played by the Australian actor Geoffrey Rush . In total, the film was nominated for twelve Academy Awards.

swell

• C. Bowen: Lionel Logue: A Pioneer in Speech-Language Pathology . In: The ASHA Leader. February 15, 2011.
• Suzanne Edgar: Logue, Lionel George (1880-1953) . In: Australian Dictionary of Biography. Online edition.
• Norman C. Hutchinson: Lionel Logue: The King's Mentor. e-book. Port Campbell Press, Melbourne 2011, ISBN 978-1-74298-032-4 .
• Mark Logue et al: The King's Speech. How one man saved the British monarchy. 2011, ISBN 978-3-86883-151-1 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ King's Speech Therapist a Freemason ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. from the Grand Lodge of Scotland website , accessed January 24, 2014. 
2. ↑ Lionel Logue Freemason ( Memento of the original from February 8, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. from the Lodge of St Patrick's website , accessed January 24, 2014.