Alfred 'Al' Mclaughlin

On April 27, 1921, when Alfred Willis McLaughlin Jr. entered the world, St. Anthony Hospital was a small building out in the country. His parents were Alfred Willis Sr. and Della R. Christmond McLaughlin, who had moved to Oklahoma City from the Foss area where he was a raiser of pink pigs and a deputy sheriff and she was a teacher.Al treasured a little pink pig as a pet until it grew larger than he was. His father became an accomplished home builder in Oklahoma City and his mother joined the staff of hotelier Dan James as his housekeeping superintendent and occasional interior decorator of rooms at the Black Hotel and the historic Skirvin Hotel. Educated at Sequoyah, Taft and Classen schools, Al went on to the University of Oklahoma for a year and then to Oklahoma City University for two years, majoring in chemistry. During his high school years he was given a camera which set him on his career path: it taught him that pretty girls love handsome boys who take their pictures. Al joined the Oklahoman and Times as a grade schooler delivering papers, went on to do some free lance photography for the papers during college and then entered the Army Air Corps, stationed at Vance Air Force Base, where his commanding officer thought his work was so impressive he refused to transfer him away from the base and quickly raised him to staff sergeant. Back to civilian life, he became a full-time photographer at the papers and worked his way up to head of the photo department. He utilized his background in chemistry as he constantly tried to devise new ways to improve the appearance of color pictures in the papers. He became noted nationally for his expertise, winning National Women's Page Photographer of the Year and winning third in the National Press Photographers Association Traveling Show that toured the U.S. Al loved to take pictures, especially at Sooner football games and re-invented his camera to take sequence pictures illustrating outstanding plays. He photographed prison riots, floods, crashes, shootings and 10 presidents. He also used his talent for the covers of the Women's News Sunday sections, working closely with the editor – who was not photography oriented. They conceived and executed weekly picture pages about flowers, fall leaves, food, home interiors, best-dressed Oklahoma City women and high fashion from coast to coast. Not only did he take the pictures, he suggested layouts and accompanied the editor on trips to show his fashion pictures to Future Home Maker clubs throughout Oklahoma. Although he disliked New York, he did enjoy the praise for his photography. And he grew to enjoy the company of the Women's News Editor – so much that he asked her to marry him. He didn't know (nor did she) that he would have to get permission from publisher E. K. Gaylord, who'd never had two department heads want to marry. Gaylord approved and even gifted the couple with a beautiful silver bowl. The photographer and the editor , Joan Gilmore, celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary this past March and counted their blessings, especially that of family life with his son, Steve, and wife, Lisa, who blessed us with two grand-children, Catherine, and Mark, plus Mark's wife, Stephanie, all of whom survive. Also survivors are his beloved pets, Daisy, almost a full-blood dachshund, and Bunker, just barely dachshund. Al's love of gardening brought him down, when a mosquito with the dreaded West Nile Virus attacked him, causing his death on Oct. 1. A Memorial FOR the kindest, smartest, tenderest, talented photographer ever will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Smith-Kernke Chapel , 14624 N. May Ave. In lieu of flowers, Al would prefer donations to Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NW 13, Oklahoma City 73104; the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zhudi Drive, Oklahoma City 73104, or Oklahoma City University, 2500 N. Blackwelder Ave., Oklahoma City 73106.