Marguerite McLaughlin was one of the first women general reporters for a Southern newspaper; she covered drama, music, and murder cases for the Lexington Herald and served as farm editor from 1917 to 1918. She was the first woman journalism teacher in the United States. She taught at the University of Kentucky for 38 years until 1950. She assisted Enoch Grehan in founding the UK School of Journalism. Her students included Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame members Joe Creason, Niel Plummer and Don Whitehead. She received the "Pro Ecclesiae et Pontificae" medal from Pope Pius XII in the early 1950s, the highest award available to a Catholic laywoman. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors from the University of Kentucky Alumni Association. After retirement from UK, she served as president of Welsh Printing Company. Marguerite McLaughlin died on November 25, 1961.