In Memory

Veronica McLaughlin - Class Of 1952

Veronica McLaughlin

Veronica McLaughlin (March 22, 1934 - February 9, 2020) died of heart failure at age 85 in Manhattan Beach, California.

Veronica was the recipient of the 'Women's Club' Arts Scholarship the year she graduated, which she pursued at Pasadena City College. Upon graduation, PCC's Art Department recommended her for a scholarship to Art Center, a three-year ride. She chose advertising as her major and she loved it. At the end of her second year she was called into the head office and told that she must change her major to 'Fashion' because Art Center had never graduated a successful woman advertising major. She could either change majors or lose her scholarship. Art Center was way too pricey for her or her family without the scholarship, so she did what anyone would. She said, 'thank you for the two years, I no longer can afford you, so good-bye'. Not bad for 1956, even before Betty Friedan. Veronica went back to PCC to terminate the small stipend they provided for her each month. The lady who was head of the Art deparment asked why. Veronica told her story and at the end of it the lady told her to excuse her to make a couple of phone calls, after which she informed her that the PCC Art department was picking up her last year of the scholarship. Tough lady, indeed. Veronica went on to finish the year, graduate and landed a job in NYC to become the first woman Art Director hired by a major advertising agency. She never met Jack Ham, but one of the copy writers she teamed with was named Helen Gurley Brown.

Veronica went on through a successful career in NYC and Hollywood and was a 60-year resident of Manhattan Beach where she slipped away from us in February 2020.

Neal McLaughlin '49