Sylvia McLaughlin

Sylvia McLaughlin (December 24, 1916 – January 19, 2016) was an American pioneer in environmentalism.[1] She, along with Kay Kerr and Esther Gulick, founded the Save San Francisco Bay Association[2] which eventually became Save The Bay.

Sylvia McLaughlin
McLaughlin in 2011
Born	Sylvia Cranmer (1916-12-24)December 24, 1916 Denver, Colorado, US
Died	January 19, 2016(2016-01-19) (aged 99)
Occupation	activist
Movement	Save The Bay
Parent(s)	George E. Cranmer Jean Chappell Cranmer

Born on December 24, 1916,[3] McLaughlin spent her childhood in Denver, Colorado[4] While in Denver, she developed a love for the wilderness and the outdoors.[4] She earned a bachelor's degree from Vassar College in French in 1939, married Donald McLaughlin in 1948 and settled in Berkeley, California.[4]

She was referred to as an "impractical idealist," a "do-gooder" and a "posy-picker"[5] but she is credited as a leader in environmentalism.

In 2007, she became a tree sitter in the Berkeley oak grove controversy but was unsuccessful.[4]

She resided in the Berkeley Hills and remained active in the environmental movement until her death,[4] on January 19, 2016.[6]

References

1. "Sylvia McLaughlin" (PDF). University of California at Berkeley. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
2. Scott, Mel (1985). The San Francisco Bay Area: A Metropolis in Perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 316. ISBN 0520055101.
3. "Celebrate McLaughlin Eastshore State Park on the occasion of Sylvia McLaughlin's Birthday". El Cerito Patch.
4. Fimrite, Peter (October 31, 2011). "Sylvia McLaughlin, Save the Bay founder, fights on". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
5. Merchant, Carolyn (1988). Green Versus Gold: Sources In California's Environmental History. Island Press. p. 360.
6. "Save The Bay Co-Founder Sylvia McLaughlin Dies". CSN Bay Area. January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.