Masters and Johnson Institute
Encyclopedia
The Masters and Johnson Institute (1978–1994) was the clinical and research foundation of sexologist duo Masters and Johnson
. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the Institute was established to study human sexuality
with particular emphasis on the anatomy and physiology of human sexual response
and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunctions. The Masters and Johnson Institute was founded in 1978 and closed in 1994.
in 1957 as a research assistant on a project in human sexuality, they originally worked together in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis
, before continuing on to create an independent research institution at 4910 Forest Park Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri
in 1964, deliberately named the Reproductive Biology Research Foundation (rather than using the word "sex" in its title) to allow their work to keep out of the limelight. The Reproductive Biology Research Foundation did, in fact, conduct studies of conception, contraception, and infertility, although the major focus of its work was on advancing the scientific study of human sexuality.
Their work which pioneered human sexuality as a science was primarily conducted at this institute, including the renowned Human Sexual Response
(1966) and Human Sexual Inadequacy (1970). Masters and Johnson married in 1971 and by 1978, at the urging of their Board of Directors, agreed to rename their foundation Masters & Johnson Institute believing that the Institution's work might capitalize to a degree on their personal fame. At the height of its operations, the Institute including a multi-disciplinary staff of medical professionals (including specialists from the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine and endocrinology, psychiatry, and nursing) as well as behavioral clinicians (including clinical psychologists, social workers, theologians, and pastoral counselors) and a dedicated biochemical and endocrine laboratory. The Masters & Johnson Institute conducted a wide range of workshop and seminar program for health care professionals both in St. Louis and across the country and also ran a full time training program for sex therapists. In addition to the research and educational work it conducted, and its world-renowned therapy program, the Masters & Johnson Institute also spearheaded a drive during the 1970s to establish ethical guidelines for sex educators, therapists, and researchers.
The institute was closed when Masters retired in 1994.
Masters and Johnson
The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1990s....
. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the Institute was established to study human sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
with particular emphasis on the anatomy and physiology of human sexual response
Human sexual response
Human sexual response may refer to:* Human sexual arousal.* Human Sexual Response , a book by William Howell Masters and Virginia Eshelman Johnson.* Human Sexual Response , a New Wave musical group from Boston, Massachusetts, United States....
and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunctions. The Masters and Johnson Institute was founded in 1978 and closed in 1994.
History
After William H. Masters hired Virginia E. JohnsonVirginia E. Johnson
Virginia Eshelman Johnson is a former American sexologist and psychologist, best known as the junior member of the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team...
in 1957 as a research assistant on a project in human sexuality, they originally worked together in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, before continuing on to create an independent research institution at 4910 Forest Park Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1964, deliberately named the Reproductive Biology Research Foundation (rather than using the word "sex" in its title) to allow their work to keep out of the limelight. The Reproductive Biology Research Foundation did, in fact, conduct studies of conception, contraception, and infertility, although the major focus of its work was on advancing the scientific study of human sexuality.
Their work which pioneered human sexuality as a science was primarily conducted at this institute, including the renowned Human Sexual Response
Human sexual response
Human sexual response may refer to:* Human sexual arousal.* Human Sexual Response , a book by William Howell Masters and Virginia Eshelman Johnson.* Human Sexual Response , a New Wave musical group from Boston, Massachusetts, United States....
(1966) and Human Sexual Inadequacy (1970). Masters and Johnson married in 1971 and by 1978, at the urging of their Board of Directors, agreed to rename their foundation Masters & Johnson Institute believing that the Institution's work might capitalize to a degree on their personal fame. At the height of its operations, the Institute including a multi-disciplinary staff of medical professionals (including specialists from the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine and endocrinology, psychiatry, and nursing) as well as behavioral clinicians (including clinical psychologists, social workers, theologians, and pastoral counselors) and a dedicated biochemical and endocrine laboratory. The Masters & Johnson Institute conducted a wide range of workshop and seminar program for health care professionals both in St. Louis and across the country and also ran a full time training program for sex therapists. In addition to the research and educational work it conducted, and its world-renowned therapy program, the Masters & Johnson Institute also spearheaded a drive during the 1970s to establish ethical guidelines for sex educators, therapists, and researchers.
The institute was closed when Masters retired in 1994.