Roll McLaughlin served as a leader in the national historic preservation movement and helped establish Indiana Landmarks (then called Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana) in the late 1950s.
In 1953, Roll found his architectural career home at James & Associates. He served on the board of the Historic American Building Survey, led a national historic preservation committee of the American Institute of Architects, and assisted the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a board trustee and advisor.
Roll and his wife Linda worked with Eli Lilly to restore and furnish the Morris-Butler House in Indianapolis which became the first headquarters of Indiana Landmarks. He remained committed to the organization chairing the board, designing and managing restoration projects, consulting on endangered sites, giving talks across the state, and creating and maintaining valuable relationships. Roll passed away in 2017 leaving a brilliant legacy and a valuable collection documenting the historic preservation movement in Indiana. His son Mac donated his father’s image and book library to Indiana Landmarks. This collection demonstrates Roll’s work preserving Indiana’s historic architecture.
