Research Archives

Harry Benjamin (1885-1986) was an endocrinologist, sex researcher, and one of the first "gerontotherapists" whose work focused on transsexualism. The Benjamin collection comprises 1,400 archival folders and nine additional boxes (30 linear ft.) of personal and professional correspondence (1922–1986) (most letters date from 1960–78).

The collection also contains:

See also below: HBIGDA Collection

Le Mon Clark (1897–?) was a gynecologist, professor, sex researcher, and ordained Unitarian minister. The Clark collection consists of 36 archival folders and 85 packets of note cards (2.5 ft.) of professional correspondence (1957–1975), as well as:

• Articles, clippings, and publications (1928–80)
• Materials and conference proceedings from the North American Conference on Church and Family (1960-1961)
• Research notes and manuscripts (1931–71)
• Lecture notes (1952–59)

The collection also includes clippings, correspondence, and statements about a controversial lecture given in 1962 by Albert Ellis at the University of Arkansas, Lafayette. Clark was a lecturer at the university during this time.

Alex Comfort, Ph.D. (1920–2000) was a British biochemist, physician, sex researcher, and author of numerous works, including The Joy of Sex (1972), which sold over 12 million copies.

The Comfort collection consists of 132 archival folders and card files (3.5 linear ft.) of professional correspondence (1958-1976), manuscripts (1975-1983), research notes, clippings, illustrations, and bibliographical citations on human sexual behavior.

This archive also includes materials related to the Sandstone experimental sexual community where Comfort lived for a short time (1970-1972), and magazines, catalogs, advertisements, sketches, and commercial photographs depicting bondage/pseudo-aggression (1971–1978).

The Davidson-Moore collection contains materials related to the research of Dr. J. Kenneth Davidson, Sr.—professor emeritus of sociology and former coordinator of family studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire—and Dr. Nelwyn B. Moore, professor emerita of family and child studies at Texas State University-San Marcos.

The collection consists of more than 46 boxes. This includes:

• Biographical/professional information on Davidson and Moore
• Correspondence
• Teaching materials, presentations, and lectures
• Research grant applications
• Publications

There are also more than 10,000 articles (31 boxes) on the topics of contraception, family planning, physiology, sex attitudes, sex behavior, and sex knowledge.

Publications and manuscripts

Davidson and Moore authored and co-authored many publications and manuscripts, and much original data and research material exists in the collection. Topics include: sexual fantasies, premarital sexual intercourse, college-level sex education, sex attitudes and behavior, female sexuality, guilt, masturbation, parenting, orgasm, and contraception.

Also included: the Davidson and Moore Survey Data-Set on Regional Variations in Sexual Attitudes and Behavior of College Students (2000)

Robert Latou Dickinson (1861–1950) was a sex researcher and gynecologist. The Dickinson collection comprises 136 archival folders (2.5 linear ft.) of manuscripts and publication drafts, clinical case files and related sexually explicit materials, professional correspondence, medical drawings, and an incomplete draft biography by George Barbour, Dickinson's son-in-law.

The collection also includes organizational records, minutes, and correspondence associated with The American Association of Marriage Counselors (1944), the Institute for Sex Research (1945–1949), The National Committee on Maternal Health (1931–1949), and the World League for Sex Reform (1926).

The Dickinson collection mostly consists of case studies, sexual histories, and gynecological/sexology subject files selected from the original 5,200 files (1883–1923). The bulk of the original archive is held by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine at Harvard University Medical School.

The collection of James W. Edwards (1950–1996), American medical anthropologist and East Asian researcher, comprises seven archival boxes consisting of 183 file folders. The Edwards collection is divided into two parts:

• Papers: publications, manuscripts, correspondence, publication drafts, and conference papers
• Research files: scholarly journal articles, research notes, statistics, and original or photocopied news clippings

Edwards' extensive library is archived at the Kinsey Institute, the Institute for Research in Sexuality and Gender at Renmin University of China, and Columbia University. 

Albert Ellis, Ph.D. (1913–2007) was a sex researcher and psychologist who developed rational-emotive psychotherapy.

The Ellis collection consists of 14 archival folders of journal and magazine article offprints (1947–1972), which comprise the bulk of the collection. There is also professional correspondence (1958), biographical and personal information, and references to his public appearances.

See also: the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex Collection (Ellis was president in the 1960s) and the Le Mon Clark Collection (Series II, C, Folder 11) for materials regarding a controversial lecture given by Ellis in 1962 at the University of Arkansas.

Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939) was a British sex researcher, physician, and social reformer. The Ellis collection consists of 13 archival folders of:

• Correspondence by and about Ellis (1929–1982)
• Correspondence regarding the National Committee on Maternal Health (1930–1933)
• Publication drafts (1901–31)
• Article offprints
• Biographical information

Edythe Fallon Ferguson was a pseudonym used by a transvestite living in Long Beach, California. The collection includes sample lists of available lectures on transvestitism, a representative collection of selected lectures on the topic, a few short essays, and a collection of correspondence (primarily to Dr. Alfred Kinsey) by Ferguson between 1951 and 1956.

Ferguson had developed a system for instruction in "legitimate female impersonation developed thru [sic] personalized lectures" that she sent through the mail to interested individuals whom she deemed qualified. Prospective students were asked to send her photos, physical descriptions, and information regarding their temperament and mannerisms. Her course included instruction in physical expression, vocal training, fashion, movement, and "encouragement of the psychological aspect and suggestions for acquiring the feminine 'state of mind'." Students were required to report their progress to Ferguson who would furnish between 100 and 120 lectures to the student depending on their perceived rate of progress.

The Ferguson Collection consists of one box containing one hardback bound volume and one archival folder under one series heading: 1) Lectures and Correspondence which includes copies of correspondence course lectures, essays, and letters (primarily to Alfred Kinsey) written by Edythe Fallon Ferguson between 1951 and 1956.

Alice Withrow Field (1909–1960) was a sex researcher, criminologist, and social scientist. The Field collection comprises five file boxes (4 linear ft.) of papers, statistical and criminal reports, professional correspondence, research notes, manuscripts, charts, publication drafts, and legal information regarding criminal cases of sexual offenders and the relevant penal codes for New York City (NYC). The two foci of the collection are materials pertaining to the NYC Sex Offender study and materials concerning cases in the Women's Court and Wayward Minors' Court.

The New York Sex offender study (1951-1956)

• Notes and literature regarding NYC penal codes and legislative acts pertaining to sex offenses
• Published bulletins from the Chief City Magistrate regarding new or amended crime-oriented legislative bills
• Correspondence with Alfred Kinsey (1945–1955) and NYC magistrates about the study

Women's Court and Wayward Minors' Court under the New York City Department of Probation (1940-1945)

These materials include legal and statistical documents, reports, memoranda, two Masters theses on minors' court issues, data sheets on minors' court cases (1936-1943), and a series of 49 filed reports on female minors.

The remainder of the collection consists of U.S. and international crime research publications and notes, clippings, manuscripts, journal articles and offprints (1943-1951), correspondence with Dr. Robert Latou Dickinson (1939–1943), and miscellaneous correspondence.

Sol Gordon, Ph.D. was a writer, lecturer, and Syracuse University professor who specialized in children and teenage sex education. He founded the Institute for Family Research and Education at Syracuse University in 1970.

The Gordon collection comprises personal and professional correspondence (1972–1988), including:

• Correspondence with Dr. James Dobson regarding a slander lawsuit (1985–1986)
• Articles, clippings and publications (1966-2004)
• Gordon v. Caswell judgment transcript
• Photographs
• Audio cassettes (2) of his speeches

Listen to an interview with Dr. Sol Gordon recorded at WFIU in Bloomington in 2005. (one hour) 

Benjamin Graber, M.D. is a neuroscientist and noted researcher on the neurophysiological aspects of sexual behavior, orgasms, and female sexuality. He is also the author of Woman's Orgasm: A Guide to Sexual Satisfaction and numerous scholarly journal articles such as "Brain Structure and Function in Sexual Molesters of Children and Adolescents" and "Demystifying Sex Therapy."

The collection consists primarily of scholarly journal articles authored or co-authored by Graber, including his two studies on male orgasm and sex offenders. The Graber collection also contains an extensive research file of approximately 5,500 scholarly journal articles and research publications organized in a ProCite database.

Dr. Elaine Hatfield is a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii. The Hatfield collection consists of two boxes divided into four series: biographical, Proxmire, video, and miscellaneous.

Biographical materials

This series contains items relevant to Hatfield, including personal correspondence and documents detailing her professional and personal accomplishments.

Proxmire materials

The Proxmire series includes materials relevant to the attack on Hatfield's work by Senator William Proxmire (D-Wisc.) in 1975. Hatfield, then working at the University of Wisconsin, had received an $84,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study passionate love. Proxmire felt this was a waste of taxpayer money and launched a campaign to revoke Hatfield’s funding. Hatfield became the first recipient of Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Award, which he bestowed upon individuals he deemed "the most outrageous examples of federal waste." Proxmire continued to designate an award winner up to his retirement in 1988.

This series includes a detailed collection of 165 items including articles, newspaper clippings, correspondence, essays, and court documents detailing the Proxmire attack and subsequent fallout.

Video materials

This series includes television appearances, videotaped interviews, and home movies from the 1990s and early 21st century. The programmed topics include love, appearance, and sexuality. A small portion of the video material focuses on the work and extra-curricular activities of Hatfield's husband, Richard L. Rapson.

Magnus Hirschfeld (1868–1935) was a German physician and sex researcher. The Hirschfeld collection is credited with founding the German homosexual rights movement. The collection consists of four flat boxes (4 feet) that hold the contents of an oversized scrapbook, which was compiled for eventual publication by Carl Hoefft, Ph.D. The materials are in German.

The collection includes: invitations to professional events and lectures signed by Hirschfeld; publications and publication announcements; reports, clippings, handbills and posters for lectures on homosexuality and other topics (1895–1928).

It also features:

• Professional correspondence (1906–1931)
• Confidential reports and minutes of the Wissenschaftlich-humanitäre Komitee (Scientific-Humanitarian Committee) meetings on homosexual legal reform (1902-1921)
• A program from International Congress of World League for Sexual Reform (1928)
• Magazines and articles on homosexuality and transvestitism (1914-1920)
• Book advertisements, title pages, and table of contents on fetishes, transvestitism, and homosexuality (1898-1928)

Additional materials include trial case sketches, news clippings, and court documents regarding persons accused of homosexual practices (Krupp, Bülow-Brand 1907, Grunowski 1927-1928) or involved with accusations of royalty being and exclusively hiring homosexuals (Moltke-Harden 1907, Prince Eulenburg 1908) and other homosexual-related cases. Clinical materials consist of Hirschfeld's famous letter to the 3,000 students of the Charlottenburg Institute of Technology with sexual orientation survey cards (1903), psychobiological questionnaires (1930), and self-reported homosexual and transvestite case histories and photographs.

Dr. Jeanne Hoff, a psychiatrist trained at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, worked with the Harry Benjamin Practice, and later opened her own private practice in transgender care. Hoff herself went through gender affirmation surgery in the late 1970s. Her archives are inclusive of her professional records and documentation, book reviews, correspondence, and essays.

Also included are TV appearances, notably an award-winning episode from the NBC show, "Not for Women Only," produced by Madeline Amgott and hosted by Polly Bergen and Frank Fields. Another interview, "Becoming Jeanne…A Search for Sexual Identity" by Lynn Redgrave and Frank Fields, was broadcast by NBC as Hoff on June 30, 1978 (around the time Hoff began her transition). "Becoming Jeanne" won the prestigious Ohio State Broadcasting award in 1979, and Madeline Amgott was nominated for an Emmy award.

Charles L. Ihlenfeld worked with Dr. Harry Benjamin, the endocrinologist and expert on transsexuality, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A graduate of New York University School of Medicine, Ihlenfeld was working as an internist when Dr. Benjamin asked for help with some of his patients. Ihlenfeld and Benjamin worked together until Benjamin's retirement in 1974.

The Ihlenfeld collection includes writings, correspondence, and lecture notes, as well as materials on Benjamin and Ihlenfeld's research, clippings, and audio cassettes of interviews and radio appearances. The materials were collected between the late 1960s and the mid-1990s.

The Alfred Kinsey Collection spans 27 years from 1920–1947. Material dated after 1947 is cataloged and stored as part of the Kinsey Institute Archives Collection.

The collection represents Kinsey's tenure at Indiana University before the establishment of the Institute for Sex Research. It includes:

• Entomology course materials (papers and slides)
• Zoology course materials (papers, slides, and photographs)
• Speeches and lectures (1939–1942)
• Laboratory and office equipment
• Administrative records relating to his work at Indiana University

Carney Landis (1897–1962) was a physician, sex researcher, and psychologist. The Landis collection consists of 38 archival folders (2.5 ft.) of case studies detailing the personal and sexual histories of 293 women obtained through interviews (1934–1937).

The Masters and Johnson collection documents the work of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who transformed society's understanding of sexual response and sex therapy. The collection was donated by Virginia Johnson and her family. It includes letters, records, correspondence, research papers, media coverage, books, paintings, awards, and certificates.

Collection details

Communications with the research community and general public include  correspondence with Albert Ellis, Lonnie Barbach, Frank Beach, Hugh Hefner, Morton Hunt, Richard Green, Alan Guttmacher, and Erwin Haeberle, as well as inquiries and letters from Argentina, Chile, England, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, and Venezuela. Also included in this series are administrative files from the Masters and Johnson Institute workshops and training programs.

Major publications:

• Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson. Human Sexual Response. Toronto; New York: Bantam Books, 1966.
• Masters, William H., Virginia E.  Johnson. Human Sexual Inadequacy. Toronto; New York: Bantam Books, 1970.
• Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson. The Pleasure Bond. Toronto; New York: Bantam Books, 1974.
• Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson, and Robert C. Kolodny.  Ethical Issues in Sex Therapy and Research.  Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. 
• Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson. Homosexuality in Perspective. Toronto; New York: Bantam Books, 1979.
• Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson, and Robert C. Kolodny.  Masters and Johnson on Sex and Human Loving.  Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1986.
• Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson, and Robert C. Kolodny.  Heterosexuality.  New York: Gramercy Books, 1994.

John Money (1921-2006) was a sexologist, psychologist and professor at John Hopkins University known for his research on human sexual behavior and gender.

The John Money's archives include:

• Professional correspondence (1950-2004)
• Lectures, presentations, and audiovisual materials (1960s-2004)
• Articles and clippings (1973-2000), including thousands of reprints and pamphlets on a broad range of sex education and research topics
• Scientific journals and erotic magazines (1940s-2000)
• Manuscripts and publications (complete holdings)
• Scientific, erotic and pornographic journals and magazines (1949-1985)
• Conference programs and papers, photo albums, and information, and materials relating to sex research organizations and conferences

The collection of Thomas N. Painter (1905–1978)—gay activist, writer, and Kinsey collaborator—consists of 61 bound volumes and 99 archival folders (28 ft. total) of:

• Correspondence (1943–73)
• Personal documents (1928–74)
• Drawings and sketches (1944–66)
• Personal and family photographs (1932–61)
• Painter's unpublished autobiography

It also features manuscripts—both fiction (1944–1970) and non-fiction (1941–1974), including two book-length unpublished manuscripts on homosexuality and male prostitutes (1941).

Much of the collection reflects Painter's research, including his "Index of Persons," notes, clippings, documents, maps, diaries, correspondence, manuscripts, date books, and over 2,700 photographs and photographic negatives from and about more than 400 individuals (approximately 1940s–60s). The collection also includes a privately printed autobiography (1836) by one of Painter's ancestors with Painter's family history (to 1914), manuscripts, and documents (1925–34), and notes on individuals (from 1861) that Painter incorporated into his own work.

Dr. Stephen Porges' research intersects psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. Through his development of the Polyvagal Theory, Porges is discovering how the autonomic nervous system controls the reactions and behaviors of individuals affected by a wide-range of traumatic experiences, including sexual assault and partner violence, bullying, and the trauma associated with diagnoses and treatment of the reproductive system.

Porges is also the founding director of the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium, formed to address the life-changing affects and treatments around trauma. He leads a team of collaborative researchers and clinicians from the Kinsey Institute and other partner institutions to document both the effects of trauma on people’s ability to form intimate relationships and the development of novel treatments to reverse its effects.

The Stephen Porges Media Library contains videos of interviews with Dr. Porges and his video presentations regarding his work on the Polyvagal Theory and the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium.

Ira L. Reiss (1925-2024) was a sociologist specializing in the study of human sexuality. He was the author of 14 books and four monographs published from 1960 to 2006, including An Insider’s View of Sexual Science Since Kinsey, Premarital Sexual Standards in America, The Social Context of Premarital Sexual Permissiveness, Journey Into Sexuality: An Exploratory Voyage, and Solving America's Sexual Crisis.

The Reiss Collection spans 62 years (1952–2014). It includes seven loose-leaf binders containing reviews of all his books, his major talks, key letters, codebooks for his national sample, his vita, and discussions he had on Sexnet. It also contains five hardbound volumes prepared for Reiss' published papers, favorite publications, unpublished work, and a 1955 rough draft of his 1960 book. Additional materials include Reiss':

• Dissertation
• Data for the 1963 national sample that researched premarital sexual permissiveness attitudes
• Collection of CDs (50) and DVDs (38) of professional talks and media presentations on myriad sexual science research topics (1960-2014)

See also:

• Dr. Reiss' website

Collection details:

Books

• An Insider’s View of Sexual Science since Kinsey. Roman & Littlefield, 2006.
• At the Dawn of the Sexual Revolution: Reflections on a Dialogue. AltaMira Press, 2002. Co-authored with Albert Ellis.
• Solving America’s Sexual Crises. Prometheus Books, 1997. Done with Harriet M. Reiss. This book is a revised paperback edition of the 1990 edition.
• An End To Shame: Shaping Our Next Sexual Revolution. Prometheus Books, 1990. Done with Harriet M. Reiss.
• Family Systems In America. Fourth Edition, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, l988. This edition was co-authored with Gary R. Lee.
• Journey Into Sexuality: An Exploratory Voyage. Prentice-Hall Inc., l986.
• Family Systems In America. Third Edition, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1980.
• Contemporary Theories About the Family: Research-Based Theories. Volume One, Co-Edited with Wesley Burr, Reuben Hill, and Ivan Nye. The Free Press, MacMillan Co., 1979.
• Contemporary Theories About the Family: General Theories/Theoretical Orientations. Volume Two, Co-Edited with Wesley Burr, Reuben Hill, and Ivan Nye. The Free Press, Macmillan Co., 1979.
• Family Systems in America. Second Edition, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1976.
• Readings on the Family System. (Editor) Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972.
• Family Systems in America. First Edition, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971.
• The Social Context of Premarital Sexual Permissiveness. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1967.
• Premarital Sexual Standards in America. The Free Press, 1960.

Monographs

• A Guide For Researching Heterosexual Relationships. Co-authored with Robert Walsh, Mary Zey-Ferrell, William Tolone, and Ollie Pocs. Technical Report #4. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Family Study Center, 1980.
• A Theoretical Analysis of Heterosexual Permissiveness. Co-authored with Brent Miller. Technical Report #2, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Family Study Center. 1974.
• Editor of the special issue: "The Sexual Renaissance in America," Journal of Social Issues, 22 (April, 1966).
• Sociology of the Family. Extension Division of the University of Iowa, 1963. and Extension Division of the University of Wisconsin, 1965. Correspondence Course Manual.

Bound Volumes Of Reiss’s Writings

• Published Papers of Ira L. Reiss, Volume One, 1953-1978
• Published Papers of Ira L. Reiss, Volume Two, 1979-2001
• My Favorite Published Papers
• My Favorite Unpublished Work
• The Basis for Choice in the Problem of Premarital Sexual Intercourse

Loose Leaf Binders Of Reiss’s Work

• Codebook of Dr. Reiss’s 1963 NORC National Survey on Premarital Sexual Permissiveness
• Vita and other Information on Dr. Reiss’s career
• Book Reviews of all of Dr. Reiss’s books
• Notes from Talks by Ira L. Reiss (Two Binders)
• Selected Professional Letters

Other Items In The Collection

• The Point of View of the Actor: A Problem in Recent American Sociology, 1953 Dissertation of Ira L. Reiss
• A collection of 80 CDs and 38 DVDs of Dr. Reiss’s talks and presentations from 1960 to 2006 is part of the archives at the Kinsey Institute.
• Data for the 1963 national survey of premarital sexual permissiveness that NORC did for Dr. Reiss can be obtained from the Kinsey Institute.

The Collection also includes data from the National Opinion Research Center, Amalgam Survey, SRS 160 (1963).

Dr. Leah Cahan Schaefer (1920-2013) studied women's sexuality and transgender health. She served as president of HBIDGA (the former name of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health) from 1991-1995, and was the first woman president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, 1978-1979.

Dr. Schaefer's publications include her book, Women and Sex: Sexual Experiences and Reactions of a Group of Thirty Women as Told to a Female Psychotherapist (1973).

The Leah Schaefer Collection consists of organizational items, papers, awards, correspondence and audio cassettes.

Dr. Pepper Schwartz is a sociologist, sexologist, columnist, and professional matchmaker best known for her research on sexuality and couples. She has written extensively on her studies of both homo- and hetero-sexual intimate relationships. In addition, she served as an expert witness on many important trials, including "Don't Ask, Don't Tell” and the Hawaii gay marriage trial.

Schwartz developed the Perfectmatch.com Duet Personality Profiler used by internet dating services to match adults seeking long-term relationships. She is the author of more than 50 academic articles and sixteen books, including American Couples, The Great Sex Weekend, and Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex, Love, and the Sensual Years. She has also contributed to many publications including The New York Times, Sexual Health, and Psychology Today.

The collection includes publications in Polish, Japanese, German, and Chinese. The collection also features archival material such as research data for her couples studies with Philip W. Blumstein, correspondence, and publication drafts.

Leonore Tiefer is a scientist, activist, researcher, educator, therapist, and author. Tiefer convened the New View Campaign in the 1980s to raise awareness of potential professional conflicts of interest in pharmaceutical initiatives and to  challenge the notion of sexual variability as a disease or a disorder.

Tiefer has donated more than 900 monographs to the Kinsey Institute. These materials cover topics such as women’s studies, feminism, clinical psychology, and human sexuality. The collection also includes several educational videos, educational slides, and personal photo albums from professional conferences.

Beverly Whipple, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, and a certified sex educator, counselor, sex researcher, and sexologist. Much of the research included in the Whipple collection is devoted to female sexuality and pain control.

The collection currently consists of 10 boxes divided into five series:

• Biographical and personal materials
• Correspondence
• Publications, manuscripts, and lectures
• Research, grants, and patents
• Miscellaneous materials and research files

The Correspondence Series (three boxes) consists of 2,160 letters directed to Dr. Beverly Whipple from the general public, each requesting more information on sexuality and/or providing personal sexual histories after viewing her interview on the Phil Donahue Show.

The B.E.M. collection comprises more than 1,100 original, unpublished manuscripts of erotica (36 linear ft.) donated to the Kinsey Institute in the mid-1960s by a private collector. The manuscripts were written primarily by anonymous military personnel in the 1940s and consist of sexual fantasies and stories, many of which feature bondage and domination or mild sado-masochistic themes.

The collection includes both typed and handwritten manuscripts; many are hand-bound and decorated. The manuscripts are organized into series by the type of binding, the author or collector, or the content.

EROS magazine was first published on February 14, 1962 by Ralph Ginzberg. Lavishly bound in hard covers, only four quartely issues of Eros were produced.

Ginzberg initially promoted the magazine by sending three million direct mail circulars. He received approximately 10,000 unsolicited letters in response, expressing opinions both pro and con with regard to the proposed magazine. In addition, the Postmaster General received 25,000 letters of complaint from citizens who had received the mailer. Soon after (with a fifth issue in production), Ginzberg was served with an indictment accusing him "sending obscene matter through the mails" in violation of the Comstock Act of 1873. The indictment was based on a book published by an affiliate of EROS, though Ginzberg believed it was an indirect attempt to hamper the magaizine's production.

In December 1963, Ginzberg was sentenced to serve five years for sending "obscene" literature through the mail. The trial and subsequent appeals dragged on for another 10 years. On February 17, 1972, Ginzberg began a five-year sentence at the Lewisburg Penitentiary in Pennsylvania. He was paroled eight months later.

The Eros Collection consists of two boxes containing 17 archival folders divided into two series:

1. Correspondence including comments and letters sent to EROS magazine and its publishers in response to the initial EROS mailer
2. Promotional information and news clippings dealing with EROS magazine and the 1963 trial and subsequent appeals of Ralph Ginzberg (1960s–1970s)

The Kinsey Institute library collection contains Eros magazine vol.1, no.1–vol 1., no.4 (1962) [call number: J800 Er75].

The Chris Gonzalez GLBT Archives collection is a partnership among the Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections, the Chris Gonzalez Library & Archives, and the Indiana University Indianapolis Library Program of Digital Scholarship.

This digital collection provides a unique glimpse into the early, organized GLBT community in a mid-sized, Midwestern city. Presently, the collection includes digital versions of, The Screamer from 1966–67 and The Works, later renamed, The New Works News, 'Indiana's gay news magazine for gay men and women,' from 1982–1989.

Access the archives online »

The Kenneth R. Haslam, MD Polyamory Collection consists of conference materials, internet resources, media coverage, and research articles, as well as Dr Haslam’s personal correspondence and papers originally delivered at poly-oriented meetings, sex research and sex therapy conferences. There are also materials from several other donors relating to research, media response, and community communications and publications. The bulk of the collection represents the work of Dr. Haslam and other poly-activists from 2000 to the present, with contributions from earlier polyamory writers and activists dating from the 1970s.

Haslam’s decision to develop the polyamory collection at The Kinsey Institute reflects his interest in providing information and educating the public about polyamorous relationships. The collection includes biographical information about Kenneth Haslam, who has been a leader in organizing and documenting the polyamory community, and in introducing polyamory into the academic sphere. Haslam’s presentations, featured in this collection, are geared towards educating professionals, practitioners, the public and the poly-community; they form a framework for understanding polyamory, along with snapshots of the lifestyles and communities.

The collection represents many different polyamory groups and communities, including the 1970s Kerista Community and the Church of All Worlds in the U.S., and international materials, such as Dutch language publications from The Netherlands. The collection also contains newsletters that were the precursors of Loving More magazine and a complete collection of the;magazine; listservs, blogs, and journals; websites such as "Polyamorous Percolations;" "Swingercast," the swingers' podcast; Unitarian Universalists for Polyamory Awareness materials; and archives of various web-based discussion groups.

This archive also contains data from Polyamory Demography: the "Loving More Magazine" Study (2000) commissioned by Ryam Nearing.

For a complete list of materials in this collection, please contact libknsy@iu.edu for the Haslam Collection Finding Aid.

The Harry Benjamin International Gender Dyphoria Association (HBIGDA) was a multi-disciplinary transgender health professional association established in 1978 to foster communication among professionals that were involved in the treatment and research of gender identity disorders. HBIGDA was named after Dr. Harry Benjamin (1885-1986), a gerontologist and endocrinologist who was a pioneer scholar and researcher on transsexualism. The association sponsored professional conferences, distributed information, published The International Journal of Transgenderism, and created ethical guidelines. In 1979, HBIGDA issued the first version of the Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders (SOC) to aid professionals in the treatment of people with gender identity disorders. In 2006, HBIDGA was renamed The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). 

Collection details

The HBIGDA collection is divided into four series:

• Organizational information
• Symposium materials and publications
• Correspondence
• Miscellaneous

It also contains an appendix listing materials extracted from the collection and incorporated into the Kinsey Institute Library's general holding.

The Leah C. Schaefer Collection also has a selection of HBIGDA items (Series III) which includes organizational material, conference information, newsletters, and correspondence.

Materials from the WPATH era (2006–) are located in the The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Collection.

Full text holdings:

• HBIGDA Symposium 1, 1969 Brochure
• HBIGDA Symposium 1, 1969 Attendee List
• HBIGDA Symposium 2, 1971 Itinerary
• HBIGDA Symposium 6, 1979 Brochure
• HBIGDA Symposium 8, 1983 Program
• HBIGDA Symposium 9, 1985 Program ("Final program" appears to be a simple itinerary)
• HBIGDA Symposium 10, 1987 Program
• HBIGDA Symposium 13, 1993 Program
• HBIGDA Symposium 14, 1995 Program
• HBIGDA Symposium 15, 1997 Delegate Listing
• HBIGDA Symposium 16, 1999 Program and Abstracts (2 files)
• HBIGDA Symposium 17, 2001 Program and Abstracts (2 files)

Containing administrative and day-to-day records from the founding of the ISR in 1947. The Institute Archives are divided into collection eras based on the tenure of past directors:

Institute for Sex Research:

• Dr. Alfred Kinsey, 1947-56
• Dr. Paul Gebhard, 1956-82

Kinsey Institute:

• Dr. June Reinisch, 1982-93
• Dr. Stephanie Sanders, 1993-95, 2014
• Dr. John Bancroft, 1995-2004
• Dr. Julia Heiman, 2004-13
• Dr. Sue Carter 2015-19

The Institute Archives also contain correspondence, data, and codebooks from pre-Institute and early ISR eras that are available for limited use by scholars.

Photographs, video and audio interviews with married same-sex couples in Indiana conducted in partnership with the Department of Gender Studies, The Media School, and the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and community organizations.

The collection comprises 72 binders with more than 25,000 original clippings from journals, newspapers, and magazines dating from 1947 to the present. These materials cover academic articles, book reviews, editorials, letters and advertisements, cartoons, and news articles.

The Sexual Freedom League (SFL) was founded in New York City in 1963 to promote the political ideals of sexual freedom.

Historically, the SFL collection has been used by scholars researching sexual attitudes of the United States during the 1960s–1970s. It consists of four sections containing 65 archival folders covering 1966–1978:

• Organizational information and correspondence includes meeting minutes, financial information, social activities, press releases, media relations, chapter information, calendars, and correspondence to/from the SFL and its religious offshoot, the Psychedelic Venus Church
• Newsletters consist of the pre-publication notes and correspondence dealing with the Sexual Freedom League Newsletter
• News Clippings contains newspaper and magazine articles on the topics of sex, gender, reproduction, women's rights, homosexual rights, nude beaches, and newsletters and flyers from other sex-related organizations
• Art and Objects consists of sex-related items

The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) was founded in 1957 and is the oldest American organization for professionals in the field of human sexuality.

The collection contains records, multimedia materials, and organizational documents, including:

• Articles of incorporation, constitution, and by-laws
• Conference programs and announcements (1984–98)
• Membership lists (1971–87)
• Meeting minutes (1972–98)
• Financial records (1957–96)
• Journals, articles, clippings and submissions (1970–87)
• Correspondence (1979–86)

There are also audiocassettes of meetings, lectures, and conferences (1981-1988), including the International Congress of Sexology in 1976, as well as videotapes of plenaries, awards luncheons, and lectures.