Representative Charles Francis McLaughlin

Charles Francis McLaughlin (June 19, 1887 – February 5, 1976) was an American politician and judge who served as a U.S. Representative from Nebraska from 1935 to 1943 and later as a district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. A member of the Democratic Party, he played a role in the federal legislative process during a transformative era in American history and went on to a lengthy career in the federal judiciary.

McLaughlin’s service in Congress occurred during the years of the Great Depression and the early period of World War II, a significant period in American history marked by sweeping domestic reforms and growing international tensions. Elected as a Democrat, he represented his Nebraska constituents in the United States House of Representatives for four consecutive terms, from March 4, 1935, to January 3, 1943. During this time, he participated in the democratic process by contributing to debates and legislation associated with New Deal policies and the nation’s evolving defense posture, working to represent the interests and concerns of the people of Nebraska within the broader national agenda.

As a member of the House of Representatives, McLaughlin’s eight years in office placed him at the center of major federal initiatives aimed at economic recovery, social welfare, and national security. His tenure spanned the 74th through the 77th Congresses, during which Congress considered measures related to banking and financial regulation, agricultural relief, labor standards, and preparations for the United States’ eventual entry into World War II. Within this context, McLaughlin contributed to the legislative process and helped shape federal policy responses to the economic and geopolitical challenges of the era, while maintaining attention to the needs of his Nebraska district.

After leaving Congress in 1943, McLaughlin continued his public service at the federal level through his work in the judiciary. He was appointed a district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, where he presided over a wide range of federal cases in the nation’s capital. In this capacity, he applied federal law in matters involving constitutional questions, administrative actions, and civil and criminal disputes, extending his influence from the legislative arena into the interpretation and application of federal statutes and constitutional principles.

McLaughlin remained on the federal bench for many years, contributing to the administration of justice in one of the country’s most prominent trial courts. His judicial service reflected the same commitment to public duty that had characterized his years in Congress, and it allowed him to continue shaping the legal framework within which federal policy operated. Over the course of his combined legislative and judicial careers, he was part of the federal government’s response to some of the most consequential developments of the mid-twentieth century.

Charles Francis McLaughlin died on February 5, 1976. By the time of his death, he had spent decades in public life as both a lawmaker and a judge, leaving a record of service that linked Nebraska’s representation in Congress with the broader workings of the federal judiciary in Washington, D.C.