The Life of Mrs. Caroline Keller Loughlin
Caroline Keller Loughlin was nationally known for her work with historic landscapes, for which she received several awards. In recognition of her accomplishments, the Library of American Landscape History named Caroline its Preservation Hero for 2005.
Filter Mrs. Caroline Keller Loughlin's Timeline by the following Memory Categories
1961.01.01
Cornell University and IBM
Caroline graduated from Cornell University in 1961 with a degree in mathematics. During her four years at Cornell, she was a member of the varsity debate team and won several awards for debating and public speaking. Upon graduation, she was hired by IBM and trained for a year to program its new 1401 computer for business use. In 1962, she and her former Cornell classmate and debating partner, Phil Loughlin, married and moved to Jacksonville for three years where she worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst for the State of Florida.
Images: (1) Caroline in 1961, (2) More victories for Caroline, (3) Caroline's diploma, (4) An IBM 1401 computer in 1960
1986.01.01
Junior League of St. Louis and Forest Park
Caroline was the coauthor of Forest Park, a definitive history of that park in St. Louis, published in 1986. The book was the culmination of ten years of research by a team of volunteers from the Junior League of St. Louis, which Caroline had joined when she left the paid workforce and turned to volunteer work. This project piqued her interest in historic landscapes, an interest that she pursued for the rest of her life. It led her to volunteer for the National Association for Olmsted Parks and ultimately to volunteer for Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Images: (1) Historic Forest Park in St. Louis, (2) Junior League volunteers working on the book in 1983, (3) The book Forest Park, published in 1986
2005.01.01
National Assoication for Olmsted Parks
Caroline worked with NAOP and related organizations across the country to preserve the Olmsted legacy of manmade landscapes. Because of her outstanding service and dedication, in 2005 the NAOP board established The Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award "in recognition of extraordinary dedication and commitment," and presented the award first to Caroline. NAOP continues to grant this award to individuals who volunteer to promote and protect the Olmsted legacy in that same spirit.
Images: (1) Frederick Law Olmsted, (2) NAOP, (3) The Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award
2010.01.01
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Caroline worked in the Historical Collections Department at Mount Auburn Cemetery. She also served as co-chairman of the Cemetery’s 175th Anniversary Committee and as a trustee of the Friends of Mount Auburn. In 2010, she was elected a trustee of the Cemetery. Caroline died in 2013. She was cremated, and her urn was placed in the columbarium of Story Chapel. A cenotaph was put on Indian Ridge Path, and the new connector path between Story Chapel and the Asa Gray Garden was named “Caroline’s Path.” A copy of Caroline, her biography, is in the Mount Auburn Cemetery library.
Images: (1) Caroline in 2010, (2) Caroline's cenotaph, (3) Caroline's Path