Biography
Laughlin was born on February 2, 1883 in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand; came to California; in 1910 became an instructor in physical education at the Los Angeles State Normal School; in 1914 she served as head of practice teaching and Dean of Women, and continued in the latter position when the school became the Southern Branch of the University of California and then UCLA; as Dean, she was active in providing a housing service and vocational counseling, and supervising the working conditions and standards of pay for the many women who were working part time; founded the Helen Matthewson Club, the oldest cooperative college women's club in the country; helped in the establishment and growth of sororities; was active in the community as director of the Red Cross, an active member of the Girl Scouts of America, and as a member of the Republican Women's Club of California; served as a delegate to several Republican conventions; she died on August 26, 1960 in Los Angeles.
From the guide to the Helen Matthewson Laughlin Papers, 1920-1950, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)
