The Haanel family was of
Swedish extraction, but had lived in
Silesia,
Prussia, before emigrating to
Canada and thence to the
United States. In
St. Louis: History of the Fourth City, the author Walter B. Stevens wrote that "Charles F. Haanel was born in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Hugo and Emeline (Fox) Haanel." He was the fourth of six children. According to Stevens, "The family moved to
St. Louis, Missouri when Charles was a child. His first job was as an office boy for the National Enameling & Stamping Company in St. Louis, and he worked for this firm in varying capacities for fifteen years before striking out on his own as a writer and businessman." In 1885 he married Esther M. Smith. They had one son and two daughters. In 1891 his wife died. In 1908 he married for the second time, to Margaret Nicholson of St. Louis, whose father was W. A. Nicholson. and a supporter of the
Missouri Athletic Club. He was a member of
Pi Gamma Mu fraternity, a Fellow of the London College of Psychotherapy, a member of the Authors League of America; a member of the American Society of Psychical Research; a member of the Society of Rosicrucians; a member of the American Suggestive Therapeutical Association; and a member of the Science League of America. During his life, Haanel earned and received several honorary academic degrees, including hon. Ph.D., College National Electronic Institute; Metaphysics, Psy. D., College of Divine Metaphysics; and M.D., Universal College of Dupleix, India. When Haanel died on November 27, 1949; he was 83 years old. His ashes were buried in
Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis. == Career as financial success writer ==