Laughlin 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. Early life 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 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. Career Following his graduation, Phillips attended Yale University, his father's alma mater, for one year before serving in World War II. Phillips conducted two months of training at Camp Ritchie, Maryland and joined the ranks of the Ritchie Boys for his time there. He was an Army intelligence officer in the Pacific theater and earned a Bronze Star Medal. After the war, Phillips attended the University of Chicago using benefits provided by the G.I. Bill. He began working for the CIA after earning a Master of Philosophy degree.