The Lois Thompson McLaughlin papers primarily consist of diaries and correspondence written by McLaughlin. The correspondence is mostly personal in nature. It includes childhood letters to McLaughlin’s aunts and uncles, as well as letters to friends during her time in China. Letters to McLaughlin’s father, James Angell, and mother, Sarah Caswell Angell, are found in the collection as well. Collection also includes three diaries dated 1880 to 1881, during which McLaughlin visited Peking, China with the rest of the Angell family. These entries offer descriptions of day-to-day events and activities, and even contain some of her drawings. One newspaper clipping is held in the collection with a detailed account of her wedding including the guests who attended, and the location of the ceremonies.
Lois Thompson McLaughlin was born February 15, 1863 to University of Michigan President James Burrill Angell and his wife Sarah Caswell Angell. While McLaughlin was born in Rhode Island, she was raised in Burlington, Vermont during her father’s tenure as president of the University of Vermont, and later in Ann Arbor, where she was active among the city’s charitable organizations. McLaughlin spent time living in Peking (Beijing) while her father served as a diplomat in China. In 1890, she married University of Michigan History professor, Andrew Cunningham McLaughlin. The couple had six children. McLaughlin passed away on May 5, 1941.
