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Acknowledgments As an adolescent in the early 1980s, I had a lot of questions about sexuality that I never dared to voice. I recall not even having the courage to check out the library books by Judy Blume that spoke frankly about sex. A lot has changed in a few decades, and my interest in history and the kinds of feminist questions I ask about sexuality reflect the influence of numerous people. With gratitude to many supporters, teachers, and friends, I would like to acknowledge their direct and indirect contributions to the production of this book. I began studying sex education as a graduate student at Ohio State University , where I was fortunate to receive a Graduate School Alumni Research Award, a grant from the Elizabeth Gee Fund for Research on Women, and a Woodrow Wilson–Johnson and Johnson Women’s Health Dissertation Award. In graduate school I enjoyed the encouragement of many. Special thanks go to my dissertation advisor Leila Rupp; my committee members Susan Hartmann and Birgitte Søland; colleagues and friends Kirsten Gardner , Pippa Holloway, Heather Miller, and Stephanie Gilmore; and history department staff members Joby Abernathy and Gail Summerhill. Susan Cahn and Joan Catapano’s interest in my book helped bring it to life, and I had the good fortune to spend an enjoyable year as a postdoctoral fellow in women’s studies and history at Florida International University, mentored by Suzanna Rose and Aurora Morcillo. In the Department of Women’s Studies at Minnesota State Mankato, where I have worked since the early 2000s, Maria Bevacqua, Cheryl Radeloff, and Jocelyn Fenton Stitt have contributed to an environment conducive to feminist research. As I completed revisions for the i-xviii_1-222_Free.indd 7 4/22/08 4:02:55 PM viii . acknowledgments book, I enjoyed research assistance from graduate students Beatrice Quist, Adriane Brown, Kim Burrow, and especially Shelly Owen. Copyeditor Mary Giles and assistant managing editor Angela Burton at University of Illinois Press have been a pleasure to work with as well. In my travels to archives around the country, many librarians and archivists assisted my work, and occasionally I had opportunities to speak with the people whose lives inform my research. Outstanding among these contacts was Elizabeth Force, responsible for the Toms River family relationships course. I regret that although she lived to be 104, she did not have a chance to see the book in print. After ending up in Mankato, I had an opportunity to learn from a graduate of San Diego’s sex education programs, Carol Perkins . In addition to obtaining the job created by her retirement, I gained a very dear friend whose personal history and interest in my project has been tremendously important to me. She and Cy Perkins graciously shared their yearbooks and recollections about their high school experiences, which enriched my understanding of teenaged life in the 1950s. My home and community while writing and completing the book has shifted from Ohio to Florida and finally to Minnesota. A constant source of love and support has been my parents, Jane and Bob Freeman, and my sisters, Alice Batson and Robin Freeman. I am grateful for their questions and interest along the way. Perhaps no one was prouder of me than my recently deceased grandmother, Kathleen Jordan, whose affection I appreciate enormously. My relationship with Lori Andrew was a significant part of my life during most of the years while I worked on the book, and I value her support as well as enduring friendships with Christie Launius, Ciara Healy, Heather Jobson, Beth Barr, Desirée Reitknecht, Bob Eckhart, Mollie Blackburn , and Natividad Treminio. Various cats have traipsed across my keyboard or snuggled in my lap as I’ve worked on the project, and more recently I treasure the dogs who have become part of my family. For Cathryn Bailey, who introduced me to the joys of canine companionship among many other things, I offer my deepest gratitude, respect, and love. i-xviii_1-222_Free.indd 8 4/22/08 4:02:55 PM ...

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