Leo Buscaglia

Leo Buscaglia was born to an Italian immigrant family in Los Angeles in 1924. After graduating from high school he joined the navy. After his military service he went to University, gaining all his degrees there and eventually joining the faculty. The turning point in his career came when a student committed suicide, something which struck him very deeply. He started teaching a non-credit course he called Love 1A, which soon expanded to a book. His lectures were also televised on PBS, which further increased his popularity. His popularity peaked in the 1980s, and he died of a heart attack in 1998.