Popenoe, Paul, 1888-1979

Paul Bowman Popenoe was born in 1888. He was an author, lecturer, and research worker in biology, eugenics, heredity, social hygiene, and family relations. He attended Occidental College from 1905 until 1907. He transferred to Stanford University in 1907 for his junior year but had to leave school to care for his father and run the family business - a fruit farm in the Coachella Valley, California. In 1911, on behalf of his father he traveled through the Middle East, South Africa, India, and Europe exploring agricultural practices. He returned home in 1913 with 16,000 date palm specimens. Although he continued to work with dates until 1935, his real interest was in eugenics. From 1913 until 1917 he worked as editor of the Journal of Heredity. Late in World War I, Popenoe assisted the medical section chief of the Council for National Defense before being drafted and commissioned on the staff of the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army Sanitary Corps. In 1926, he became secretary and director of research for the Human Betterment Foundation in Pasadena, which was devoted chiefly to the spread of eugenic principles. In 1929, he received an honorary doctorate in science from Occidental College. In 1929, he founded the American Institute for Family Relations and remained its director until 1976. While director, he also had nationally syndicated daily newspaper columns, "Modern Marriage" and "Your Family and You," was host of a television program, "Divorce Hearing," and a regular guest on Art Linkletter's "House Party" and other radio and television shows. He had an advice column "Can This Marriage Be Saved" in the Ladies Home Journal from 1953 until 1976. From 1933 to 1947 he lectured in biology at the University of Southern California. He is also the author of numerous books.

From the description of Paul Bowman Popenoe papers, 1874-1991. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 24237571

Paul Bowman Popenoe was born in 1888. He was an author, lecturer, and research worker in biology, eugenics, heredity, social hygiene, and family relations. He attended Occidental College from 1905 until 1907. He transferred to Stanford University in 1907 for his junior year but had to leave school to care for his father and run the family business, a fruit farm in the Coachella Valley, California. In 1911, on behalf of his father he traveled through the Middle East, South Africa, India, and Europe exploring agricultural practices. He returned home in 1913 with 16,000 date palm specimens.

Although he continued to work with dates until 1935, his real interest was in eugenics. From 1913 until 1917 he worked as editor of the Journal of Heredity. Late in World War I, in 1917, Popenoe assisted the medical section chief of the Council for National Defense before being drafted and commissioned on the staff of the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army Sanitary Corps. After the war, he returned to the Coachella Valley to grow dates. In 1926, he became secretary and director of research for the Human Betterment Foundation in Pasadena, which was devoted chiefly to the spread of eugenic principles. He remained there until 1931. In 1929, he received an honorary doctorate in science from Occidental College.

In 1929 he founded the American Institute for Family Relations and remained its director until 1976. While director, he also had nationally syndicated daily newspaper columns, “Modern Marriage” and “Your Family and You,” was host of a television program, “Divorce Hearing,” and a regular guest on Art Linkletter’s “House Party” and other radio and television shows. He had an advice column “Can This Marriage Be Saved” in the Ladies Home Journal from 1953 until 1976. From 1933 to 1947 he lectured in biology at the University of Southern California.

His books include Date Growing in the New and Old World, 1913; Applied Eugenics, 1918 and 1933; Modern Marriage, 1925; The Conservation of the Family, 1926; Problems of Human Reproduction, 1926; The Child’s Heredity, 1929; Sterilization for Human Betterment, 1929; Practical Applications of Heredity, 1930; Marriage, Before and After, 1943; Marriage Is What You Make It, 1950; Divorce- 17 Ways to Avoid It, 1959; Can This Marriage Be Saved, 1960; Sex, Love, and Marriage, 1963; and The Church Looks At Family Life, 1964.

From the guide to the Paul Bowman Popenoe papers, 1874-1991, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)