NARA's FBI files on William Masters of Masters and Johnson

*REFERRED TO SPECIAL ACCESS AND FOIA:*

Dear Mr. David Bixenspan,

Thank you for submitting your Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act
request to the National Archives and Records Administration, via
foia@nara.gov.

Due to the nature of your request, we have forwarded your request to
our *Office
of Research Services, Special Access and FOIA* division, for appropriate
handling. Federal records are transferred to NARA no earlier than 15 years
and as late as 30 years from the date the document was created. You will
be assigned a new tracking number by that office within the next 20
business days. If you would like to follow up with that office directly,
please contact them at specialaccess_FOIA@nara.gov.

For your reference, your original submission is below.

Thank you for contacting the National Archives and please visit our website
at www.archives.gov/foia for further information.

Please also visit our main website, www.archives.gov, to learn more about
the many exciting resources we offer the public.

Wanda Williams
Deputy Freedom of Information Act Officer/Archivist
National Archives and Records Administration
Office of General Counsel
College Park, Maryland
301-837-0773 work
wanda.williams@nara.gov

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <requests@muckrock.com>
Date: Fri, Nov 18, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Subject: Freedom of Information Request: NARA's FBI files on William
Masters of Masters and Johnson
To: foia@nara.gov

November 18, 2016
National Archives and Records Administration
FOIA Officer
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3110
College Park, MD 20740

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act and should be
fulfilled digitally by email attachment. I should be categorized as a media
requester. This request is part of my reporting process, and I will use the
materials in my coverage (for various outlets including VICE, LawNewz, MEL
Magazine, Wrestling Observer, Fighting Spirit Magazine, and Death & Taxes)
of news in the public interest.

I hereby request the following records:

Entries from FBI file number 94-HQ-64415 Serials X4, 103, 108 relating to
the FBI's files on Dr. William Masters M.D., his research, and his
co-researcher/sometimes wife Virginia Johnson. Masters and Johnson were
public figures well-known for their joint research into human sexuality and
inspired the current television series "Masters of Sex." For the purposes
of minimizing redactions and other privacy issues, please take note that
their deaths were widely covered, including by the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/19/us/william-h-masters-a-
pioneer-in-studying-and-demystifying-sex-dies-at-85.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/us/virginia-johnson-
masterss-collaborator-in-sex-research-dies-at-88.html?pagewanted=all

More specifically, on September 16, 2016 I filed I filed FOIPA #
1358498-000 with the FBI, requesting their files on famed sex researchers
Dr. William Masters M.D. (December 27, 1915 – February 16, 2001) and
Virginia E. Johnson, born Mary Virginia Eshelman (February 11, 1925 – July
24, 2013).
On September 27th, the FBI sent back a "no responsive documents"
letter for Johnson, following on November 8th with another such letter for
Masters. The Masters letter, however, told me that potentially responsive
records for him now reside with NARA, and that I should send a FOIA request
to NARA using file number 94-HQ-64415 Serials X4, 103, 108 as a reference.
So I hereby request FBI records from that file/those serials relating to
Dr. William Masters and his research, including any records relating to
Virginia Johnson.

For anything found but not produced, please send a proper Vaughn Index.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and
this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform
me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer
the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or
CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I
look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business
days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,
David Bixenspan

------
Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com

For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock
DEPT MR 30176
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144-2516

PLEASE NOTE: This request is not filed by a MuckRock staff member, but is
being sent through MuckRock by the above in order to better track, share,
and manage public records requests. Also note that improperly addressed
(i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the
department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.
------

Dear Mr. Bixenspan:

Please find our response along with the records attached.

Rebecca
--
Rebecca Calcagno, Ph.D., M.L.S.
Archivist
Special Access and FOIA Branch (RD-F)
National Archives at College Park
Phone: (301) 837-2986