Robert Thomas "Bob" Francoeur Ph.D., A.C.S. (October 18, 1931 – October 15, 2012) was an American

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize ...

and

sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists a ...

Life and career

Francoeur was born on October 18, 1931, in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. He earned a B.A. in

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

at Sacred Heart College in 1953, a M.A. in Catholic

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

Saint Vincent College Saint Vincent College is a private Benedictine college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria, it is operated by the Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey, the first Benedictine monastery in the ...

in 1957, a M.S. in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

at the

University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univers ...

in 1961, a Ph.D. in experimental

embryology Embryology (from Greek ἔμβρυον, ''embryon'', "the unborn, embryo"; and -λογία, '' -logia'') is the branch of animal biology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization, and development of embr ...

at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

in 1967, and an A.C.S. in

sexology Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists ap ...

at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in 1979. He received the "Golden Brick Award" from the Center for Family Life Education for outstanding contributions to sexuality education in 2008 and was chosen by the German Society for Social-Scientific Sexuality Research to receive the Magnus Hirschfeld Medal for Sexual Reform in 2008. Trained in embryology, evolution, theology, and the humanities, Francoeur's main work was to synthesize and integrate the findings of primary sexological researchers. He is the author of twenty-two books, contributor to seventy-eight textbooks, handbooks, and encyclopedias, and the author of fifty-eight technical papers on various aspects of sexuality. His books include ''The Scent of Eros: Mysteries of Odor in Human Sexuality'' (1995), ''Becoming a Sexual Person'' (1982, 1984, 1991) and ''Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality'' (1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2000) - two college textbooks, ''Utopian Motherhood: New Trends in Human Reproduction'' (1970, 1974, 1977), ''Eve's New Rib: 20 Faces of Sex, Marriage, and Family'' (1972), ''Hot and Cool Sex: Cultures in Conflict'' (1974), and ''The Future of Sexual Relations'' (1974). He is editor-in-chief of ''The Complete Dictionary of Sexology'' (1991, 1995) and ''The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality''. A fellow of the

Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS, or "quad-S") is a 501(c)3 non-profit professional membership organization "dedicated to advancing knowledge of sexuality and communicating scientifically based sexuality research and scholarsh ...

and past president of the Society's Eastern Region, he is also a charter member of the American College of Sexology. He served as professor of biological and allied health sciences at

Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...

, adjunct professor in the doctoral Program in Human Sexuality at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

, and professor in the New York University “Sexuality in Two Cultures” program in Copenhagen. He received the 2008 Magnus Hirschfeld Medal.

Selected publications

;Books *''Becoming a Sexual Person'' (1982) *'' International Encyclopedia of Sexuality'' (1997-2001) *''Utopian Motherhood: New Trends in Human Reproduction'' *''Biomedical Ethics: A Guide to Decision Making'' *''The Scent of Eros: Mysteries of Odor in Human Sexuality'' (with JV Kohl) *''The Complete Dictionary of Sexology'' *''Hot & Cool Sex: Cultures in Conflict'' *''Religious Reactions to Alternative Lifestyles'' *''The Future of Sexual Relations'' (with AK Francoeur) *''Eve's New Rib: Twenty Faces of Sex, Marriage, and Family'' *''The Continuum Complete International Encyclopedia of Sexuality'' (2004) ) *''Taking sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality'' *''A Descriptive Dictionary and Atlas of Sexology'' ;Articles * * * * * * ;Talk Show Appearances *''The David Frost Show'' January 5, 1971; Season 3, Episode 69 *''The Dick Cavett Show'' May 23, 1972; Episode 257 on ABC *''The Dick Cavett Show'' June 20, 1972; Episode 353 on ABC; with Robert Rimmer and Barbara Williamson

References

External links

Sexology Institute brief bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francoeur, Robert T. American sexologists American biologists American theologians Fairleigh Dickinson University faculty Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality alumni Sacred Heart Major Seminary alumni Saint Vincent College alumni University of Delaware alumni University of Detroit Mercy alumni 1931 births 2012 deaths