Alfred Kinsey (1894–1956) was one of the pioneering sexologists of the twentieth century. Born into a devout Methodist family with a strict, repressive father, Kinsey’s quest to bring human sexuality out of the closet and into the open, non-judgmental light of scientific inquiry was partly fueled by his own childhood experiences. He originally started his career as an entomologist, a student of insects. The obsessive attention to detail he put into the cataloging of millions of insect specimens carried over into his work in sexology. In 1947, he established the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, which is still in existence today. The 2004 movie Kinsey, written and directed by Bill Condon, portrayed the dramatic interplay between the personal and professional life of this influential figure.
Most people credit Alfred Kinsey with pioneering the systematic and empirical study of normal sexuality in the twentieth century (AP/WideWorld).