Howard “Mike” Hoyman
Dr. Hoyman is noted particularly for his contributions to sex education and the introduction of ecology concepts to health education. He developed the first sex education program for grades one through twelve. The Four Cycle Curriculum for health instruction that Dr. Hoyman developed has now been widely adopted and is considered a major contribution to the theory and practice of health education. His ecological model for health has significantly influenced the thinking of health educators.
In 1931, Dr. Hoyman received his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from The Ohio State University. He earned his master’s degree in 1932 and his doctorate in 1945, both in health education, from Columbia University. He pursued other graduate studies in the areas of science, education and public health at Stanford University, The Ohio State University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Michigan. Prior to his arrival at the University of Illinois as a professor of health education and as the first head of the Department of Health and Safety Education, Dr. Hoyman was a professor at the University of Oregon. He served as professor and head of the department until his retirement in 1970 as professor emeritus.
Dr. Hoyman was instrumental in starting two new research laboratories: the Safety and Driver Education Laboratory and the Health Education Laboratory. He also conducted field studies of school and public health education in the former Soviet Union and school health education, including sex education, in Sweden. He was the author of six books including two widely used textbooks: Your Health and Safety and Functional Health and Safety. He wrote over 200 journal articles on sex and health education. Dr. Hoyman was honored many times including designations from Phi Beta Kappa, the American Public Health Association, and the American School of Health Association.
Today in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health the Hoyman Student Award fund provides support for students enrolled in the Department, with special consideration given to graduate students with families or other students who are deemed to have financial need.
