Alfred Kinsey Sex Researcher By: Megan Brogely

Alfred Kinsey Born August 23, 1894 – Hoboken, New Jersey Mother – Sarah Ann Father – Alfred Siguine 1 brother, 1 sister

Sarah Ann & Alfred Siguine Sarah Very little education Alfred Preacher Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology Belief: Masturbation, sex, nocturnal emission, and girls are BAD!! Status: poor > avg. No medical help at first Divorced 1930

Sickness Suffered severely from Rickets, Rheumatic Fever, and Typhoid before the age of 10 Bed rest – very little contact with friend Age 9 – little time with friends - basement Then the move

New Beginnings Moved – Orange, New Jersey High School – Big Accomplishment! Biology Club – bugs Boy Scouts – Birds and the Bees

Fathers views Sex was always considered bad and never talked about Homosexuality and adultery were crimes Masturbation was seen as a mental illness Premarital sex was immoral Common sex practices were perverted Touching private parts was sinful Nocturnal emission was shameful Avoid opposite sex!

After Graduation Because of the inspiring award, Alfred wanted to pursue his career in Biology Father crushes dream Went to his fathers college Struggles in school and stops

Start of his fame Kinsey goes to Bowdoin College in Maine Still went to church, prayed, worked for Christian organizations, Boy Scouts, and YMCA Interest in Gall Wasps Starting in 1922 Kinsey published long papers on his findings followed by two extensive books: The Gall Wasp Genus Cynips: A Study in the Origin of Species (1930) and The Origin of Higher Categories in Cynips (1936). His views on taxonomy won wide acceptance, and his 1926 textbook for undergraduates, An Introduction to Biology, was well received and went through three editions. In 1937 he was made a “starred scientist” in American Men of Science. Interested him in human sexual behaviors Success at Bowdoin > off to Grad School at Harvard

Crush He attracted the attention of female students and university office workers. Stayed away! Good friend Anderson during Harvard years

Job offer at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana as an assistant professorship in the Zoology Department Wrote two books – Sexual Behavior in the Male, Sexual Behavior in the Female Student vs Teacher Clara McMillen (MAC)

Clara & Alfred Dated Went hiking, camping trips Got married June 1921 Honeymoon experience = failure Clara had a minor surgical procedure 4 children – Don, Anne, Joan, Bruce

Clara McMillen Born: Oct. 2, 1898 Bloomington, Indiana Education: Indian University Major: Chemistry Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and others Grad School: attended but left after meeting Kinsey Job: Help with the Kinsey reports of Human Sexuality

Kinsey and his other “loves” Kinsey had expressed that he had fell in love with two men before Clara Ralph Voris (right) Shared common interests Sex education – contraceptives, body parts, intercourse Clyde Martin (middle) Sexual relations, preferred women

Punishment Kinsey was shameful of being homosexual Punished himself – YAAOUUUCHHH!! Drinking straws Pipe cleaners Pencils Toothbrush Became accustomed to pain- circumcision

Side job Sex still interested Kinsey as well as his bugs, wanted to go further Counseling students with sex problems – like boy scouts Became more interested in sex as he spoke with them Distributed a sex questionnaire to his grad students

Approached the president of the university and suggested he teach a course that would prepare students for marriage by addressing sexual issues In Kinsey began a series of biology lectures in a course the university called “a marriage course”. Students were very uneducated about sex!

More digging! Kinsey was wanting more information about sex Sets up own institute – Institute for Sex Research, in Bloomington Interviews > sex histories Traveled to collect sex histories All are volunteered people of all kinds of people White, black, homosexual, heterosexual, young, old, ect.

Kinsey had 3 assistance – Wardell Pomeroy, Paul Gebhard, and Clyde Martin MAC helped also Clyde Martin was the other love before MAC Clyde’s big question!! Kinsey’s reaction! MAC’s response!!!

Acceptable? Having sex with other people’s wives were acceptable Secretive Kinsey was interested in recording sexual activities – new project Hired a photographer and recorder - attic Photographed people masturbating, engaging in oral and anal sex, and employing in S&M techniques.

What do people think of Kinsey?

Questionnaire Findings 100,000 volunteered 67% had oral sex 37% had at least 1 homosexual contact that resulted in an orgasm 17% of farm boys had sexual relations with the animals

Kinsey’s popular success Cartoonist Comedians Martha Raye – “Ohh Dr. Kinsey” Speeches

Children’s reaction One of his son’s denied who he was when asked by his professor One of his daughter’s told people her father was the owner of Kinsey Whiskey company, not the sex researcher Clara was unfazed: she told people she was an ordinary housewife, stay-at- home mom whose husband went to work everyday, thought to a sex research center not an office.

Death Alfred Kinsey had an enlarged heart, pulse raced, and diuretics. Dr. said to take it easy Kinsey didn’t listen – always wanting to do more Following month: Aug 25 th 1956, age 62

Controversy Interviewing: prisons and homosexuals Too many sex offenders in samples Mechanistic view of sex, not love Photos, films, sex with staff and other people Religious reasons

Kinsey the Legend Openness to sex Acceptance of homosexuals 50’s Hugh Hefner – Playboy 60’s Sexual freedom – hippies 70’s Sexual fantasies 80’s & 90’s pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, birth control Roe vs Wade – abortion, contraception

The Movie Kinsey had a movie produced after him Nov 4,

Questions? Did Kinsey do a good thing? Do you think that Kinsey was a sex criminal or a pervert? If it weren’t for Kinsey, do you think sex would still be forbidden upon or someone else would have started it? What was most interesting/most shocking about Alfred Kinsey in your opinion?

Resources The book – Kinsey, Linda Wolfe