Laughlin Phillips

Laughlin Phillips
Laughlin Phillips in 1988
Born	October 20, 1924 Washington, D.C.
Died	January 24, 2010 (2010-01-25) (aged 85) Washington, Connecticut
Nationality	American
Occupation	Director of The Phillips Collection
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Hood (divorced) Jennifer Stats Cafritz (until his death)
Children	Duncan V. Phillips, Liza Phillips (stepchildren) Julia Cafritz, Daisy von Furth, Eric Cafritz, Matthew Cafritz
Parent(s)	Duncan Phillips Marjorie Acker Phillips

Laughlin Phillips (October 20, 1924 – January 24, 2010), also known as Loc Phillips, was an American museum director from Washington, D.C. The son of wealthy art collectors, he managed The Phillips Collection, a museum founded by his parents. Under his leadership, the museum increased its collection, underwent expansion projects and received substantial financial support. Prior to his career as a museum director, Phillips served during World War II, worked as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and co-founded a local magazine.

Laughlin Phillips, nicknamed Loc, was born in Washington, D.C. in 1924, the son of Duncan Phillips, an art collector and critic, and Marjorie Acker Phillips, a painter. He had one sibling, Mary Marjorie, born in 1922, who contracted encephalitis at a young age and was institutionalized. According to Phillips, "she was severely brain damaged and never got beyond being four years old." Phillips was named after his great-grandfather, James H. Laughlin, co-founder of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company and chair of the Pittsburgh National Bank (a precursor to PNC Financial Services). Three years prior to Phillips' birth, Duncan and Marjorie founded the Phillips Memorial Gallery, the United States' first museum of modern art. The museum was located in the Phillips' home, a Georgian Revival house in Dupont Circle where Laughlin spent his early childhood. In 1930, the family moved to another house, Dunmarlin, a 17,000 sq ft (1,600 m²) mansion on Foxhall Road NW designed by architect John Russell Pope, to increase the museum's gallery space. During his childhood, Dunmarlin was a noted meeting place for diplomats, politicians and artists. Phillips attended special events and exhibits, including a photography exhibit where his own work was displayed. He was chauffeured each day to St. Albans School, an elite private school where he graduated in 1942.