Gail Laughlin

Abbie "Gail" Hill Laughlin (May 7, 1868 – March 13, 1952) was an American lawyer, suffragist, an expert for the United States Industrial Commission, and a member of the Maine State Senate. She was the first woman from Maine to practice law. She was posthumously inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 1991.

Early years Gail Laughlin was born in Robbinston, Maine, to Robert Laughlin and Elizabeth (Stuart) Laughlin. She was one of nine children. Her mother was from St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and her father was from Belfast, Ireland. Her father died aged 56 in 1876, leaving her mother and six siblings behind, as two died in infancy. In 1880, the family relocated to Portland, Maine, where Laughlin's eldest brother was working as a clerk. She received fifty dollars for the publication that would go towards furthering her education. She served on eleven city and state boards in Denver. Laughlin and Sperry moved back to California in 1914.