Gary Thomas Smalley (September 16, 1940 – March 6, 2016) was an American family counselor, president and founder of the Smalley Relationship Center and author of books on family relationships from a Christian perspective. Among other issues, he taught about the

four temperaments The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types w ...

in a format based on well known animals, the otter, lion, golden retriever, and beaver.

Biography

In 1979, Gary and Norma Smalley started an organization focused on helping families. After the formation of a board, they launched the CMI organization out of

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...

. A few years later they moved to

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. Gary co-authored two books with Steve Scott during that time titled, ''If Only He Knew'' and ''For Better or For Best''. In 1985 the organization was renamed ''Today's Family''. In 1988, Gary partnered with American Telecast's Steve Scott and they launched a nationwide infomercial with

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...

as the host of a half-hour television program. That infomercial was re-introduced in 1990 and 1992 through

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and

Connie Sellecca Connie Sellecca (born Concetta Sellecchia; May 25, 1955) is an American actress, producer, and former model, best known for her roles on the television series '' Flying High'', ''The Greatest American Hero'', and ''Hotel'', for which she was nomi ...

and then Frank and

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford is a ...

. ''The Blessing'' and ''The Two Sides of Love'' won the Gold Medallion Award for excellence in literature. ''The Language of Love'' won the Angel Award as the best contribution to family life. Gary Smalley appeared on national televisions programs such as "

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...

", "

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...

", "

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", "

NBC Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

" as well as numerous national radio programs. Smalley and his wife, Norma, lived in

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...

. They have one daughter and two sons. Gary Smalley died on March 6, 2016. In 2019, Smalley's grandson Michael Gibson published a book with

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called ''Real Life Love: Saying Goodbye to the Fairytale and Hello to True Relationships'' based on the insights he gleaned from his famous grandfather.

Bibliography

*''The DNA of Relationships'' *''Change Your Heart, Change Your Life''

References

External links

The Smalley family website
*Freedom Begins Here featuring Dr. Gary Smalley
Gary Smalley and Dr. John Trent: Right brain/left brain pseudoscience.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smalley, Gary 1940 births 2016 deaths People from Boise, Idaho Writers from Idaho American Christian writers Promise Keepers