Harry H. Laughlin

Harry Hamilton Laughlin (March 11, 1880 – January 26, 1943) was a leading American eugenicist in the first half of the 20th century. He was the director of the Eugenics Record Office from its inception in 1910 to its closing in 1939, and was among the most active individuals in influencing American eugenics policy, especially compulsory sterilization legislation. A biographer has described him as "among the most racist and anti-Semitic of early twentieth-century eugenicists." Laughlin was born March 11, 1880 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He graduated from the First District Normal School (now Truman State University) in Kirksville, Missouri. He worked as a high school teacher and principal before his interest turned to breeding. This led to his...