Miami Herald, The (FL)

December 21, 1996 Section: Local Edition: Final Page: 4B Memo:Deaths CHARLOTTE LEIBEL, HANDWRITING ANALYST WON TV FAME ALAN W. SORTER Herald Writer Early in her career, Charlotte P. Leibel was a practicing lawyer and pharmacist. Later, she became fascinated by handwriting analysis. It was that career, as a master graphologist, that lead her to national prominence, landing her an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and an interview on Hard Copy. Leibel, a Miami Beach resident, died Wednesday of pneumonia at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. She was 97.

One of the first women to graduate from Portia Law School in Boston, now New England Law School, in 1922, Leibel began her career as a law clerk for Boston's first female judge, Jenny Loitman Baron. After that, she took a job working for a judge in New York. ``While she was in New York, she took courses in handwriting analysis at Columbia University,'' said her sister, Sarah Kogos. ``From that point on, she was fascinated with it.'' When the stock market crashed in 1929, Leibel decided to move back to Boston. Soon after, she met Charles Leibel, a pharmacist, whom she married in 1933. To help him run his business, she, too, became a pharmacist. Through the years, Leibel continued to develop her expertise in graphology. In 1972 she wrote a book called Change Your Handwriting . . . Change Your Life. ``What she could tell about people from their handwriting was phenomenal,'' her sister said. ``She was called on by large companies like Pittsburgh Steel to analyze the handwriting of prospective executives as part of their employment selection process.'' Leibel used her handwriting expertise to help people with their relationships, and often could be found analyzing a person's handwriting at a party. ``When I had a party,'' her sister said, ``she would come and read the handwriting of all my guests. And the people were floored by how accurate she was.'' It was that accuracy that encouraged the syndicated TV show Hard Copy to seek Leibel's opinion of O.J. Simpson's handwriting in a 1995 interview. ``In the reprint of her book,'' said her niece, Bonnie Kogos, ``she discusses the interview and writes, `His printing is disconnected, this shows he has a lot of negatives . . . and is quite capable of having done these murders.' '' Last spring, Leibel appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. ``Jay Leno had three handwriting samples for her to analyze,'' her niece said. ``Looking at the first one she said, `This man likes to stand before the public. He is exceptionally bright and has many wonderful characteristics.' Jay Leno interrupted her and said, `That's my handwriting!' She replied: `This is your handwriting? Oh boy, if I were a few years younger, could I go for you!' ``She brought the house down with that one,'' her niece said. ``I adored her,'' her niece continued. ``She was fair-minded. A clear thinker. Honest. And often would say, `This is good for you.' She was good for me, too.'' Leibel, a widow, also is survived by niece Nancy Beckman. A private service is being scheduled.

Copyright (c) 1996 The Miami Herald