Leo Koch
Leo Francis Koch (February 8, 1916 – November 14, 1982[1]) was a professor of biology at the University of Illinois, whose 1960 letter to the Daily Illini defending premarital sex provoked public outrage and prompted his firing from the university by President David Dodds Henry. Henry called the letter "offensive and repugnant." The UI Board of Trustees supported Henry, while the University of Illinois Senate voted to reprimand Koch but not to censure him.[2] The firing and Koch's subsequent battle to be reinstated became a sensation in the press. Illinois was censured by the American Association of University Professors for the ouster.[3] Koch appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States, which both refused to grant him a hearing.[4][5]
Following his dismissal from Illinois, Koch met free love advocate Jefferson Poland, and together they founded the Sexual Freedom League in New York City.[6]
Letter to Daily Illini
Koch wrote his letter in response to an article in the Daily Illini criticizing campus heavy petting parties. The response said in part:
...the events described are... symptoms of a serious social malaise... caused by the hypocritical and downright inhumane moral standards engendered by a Christian code... already decrepit in the age of Queen Victoria... With modern contraceptives and medical advice readily available... there is no valid reason why sexual intercourse should not be condoned among those sufficiently mature to engage in it without social consequences and without violating their own codes of morality and ethics.
The letter ended by saying:
A mutually satisfactory sexual experience would eliminate the need for many hours of frustrating petting and lead to happier and longer lasting marriages among our young men and women.[7]
References
- ↑ Dr. Leo Francis Koch (b. 08 February 1916, d. 14 November 1982)
- ↑ Kacich, Tom. C-U was one happening place 50 years ago. The News-Gazette. 30 December 2009.
- ↑ Universities: Marxmanship at Illinois. Time magazine. 27 March 1964.
- ↑ Court refuses to hear appeal over dismissal. Ottawa Citizen. 30 May 1963.
- ↑ Top Court Voids Race On Ballots. The Pittsburgh Press. 13 January 1964.
- ↑ Allyn (2000), 43-44.
- ↑ Goddard, J.R. Dr. Koch Seeks Reinstatement: Sex on Campus? 'You Can't Shrug Off Biological Needs'. Village Voice. 17 November 1960
Further reading
- Allyn, David (2000). Make love, not war: the sexual revolution, an unfettered history. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-03930-6.
- "Making out is its own reward," a 2010 article by Roger Ebert on the controversy
External links
- "The Leo Koch Case," a compendium of relevant sources provided by the University of Illinois.