Johnson, Virginia

From the 1960s onward, Virginia Johnson carried the baton of pioneering sex therapy along with her husband William Masters. Masters was an academic with a cold demeanor, but Johnson was personable enough to make research subjects comfortable. The couple contributed to the field of human sexuality with sex studies that brought them worldwide fame. Johnson and Masters conducted two-week-long therapy sessions for people with perceived sexual dysfunction. She published two best-selling books and had a successful public career. Society did not always meet her work with acceptance, but the impact she had on women’s sexuality and sexuality in general is still felt today.