J. Stanton McLaughlin Papers, 1939-1987, n.d. | Oberlin College Archives

James Stanton McLaughlin was born on Dec. 7, 1893 in Huntington, West Virginia to James and Luella Mahala (Mann) McLaughlin. He spent time growing up in Portsmouth, Ohio and also in Idaho. In 1917 he transferred from the University of Idaho and received his AB from Oberlin College in 1921. He earned an AM from Oberlin one year later. During WWII, a ten-month assignment overseas in the Army Signal Corps interrupted his undergraduate studies.

From 1921 to 1925 he was an instructor of English at the University of Idaho before returning to Oberlin College to begin a 36-year career as an English professor. He also took time for graduate studies during the summers, earning an MA from Harvard in 1933, and studying at the University of Chicago (1927, 1930, and 1931).

McLaughlin's greatest achievements at Oberlin were a result of his dedication to the Oberlin Dramatic Association (ODA). He was a director of the ODA from 1935 until his retirement in 1961. For over thirty years he directed 3 or 4 large productions a year while teaching at least nine hours of English classes. He directed over one hundred plays for the ODA, even when lack of performance space forced them to be held in the Art Museum auditorium or small chapels.

Students fondly remembered Stan McLaughlin as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable director who preferred to teach and guide rather than to command. Jon Swan, SO', recalled that "though some of us were scarcely aware of this, Stan was teaching us more about dramatic literature than most of us could ever hope to learn in a classroom."

After his retirement in 1961, he divided his time between Germany and Oberlin, returning for commencement each spring. In the 1983 commencement ceremony, McLaughlin marched at the head of the academic procession. As his eyesight failed in later years, he recorded cassette tapes as a means of personal correspondence.

In Wiesbaden West Germany on May 13, 1985, McLaughlin died after a long battle with leukemia. He was survived by William Baltes, a close friend who shared a house in Germany with McLaughlin for over 20 twenty years.

In 1986, an endowed prize was established in his name, awarded annually to students who make a "significant contribution to the advancement and enjoyment of extracurricular dramatic effort, including writing, directing and acting."

Sources Consulted

Student file and faculty file of J. Stanton McLaughlin (RG 28), and the Papers of J. Stanton McLaughlin.