Frederic was the Harvard educated son of the WF McLaughlin Coffee Company founder (on LaSalle Street, in Chicago from 1852-1968). He enlisted in the Illinois National Guard on June 27, 1916 at the age of 39. He joined Battery C, 1st Illinois Field Artillery and was mobilized into federal service the same day, serving in Texas on the Mexican Border patrolling for Pancho Villa. He is listed in the unit rolls as Stable Sergeant. His familiarity with horses comes directly from his captaincy of the 1915 American Polo Team at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
It is suspected a close friendship with Robert R. McCormick (of the Chicago Tribune) convinced him to join the Illinois National Guard. After his Guard service he joined the 85th Division; (nicknamed Black Hawk Division) a National Army division formed when America joined WWI. He eventually rose to the rank of Major and commanded the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion during the war.
After the war, he (and a consortium of Chicago businessmen) purchased the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Hockey League for $200,000. He moved the franchise to Chicago renaming the team Black Hawks, possibly after the Sauk Indian Chief, but definitely to honor his wartime unit. His wife, Irene Castle McLaughlin designed the first team uniform. The Blackhawks played their first game on November 17, 1926 in the old Chicago Coliseum.
McLaughlin died on December 17, 1944. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.