During her years of service, her duty stations included the Panama Canal Zone, Australia, and New Guinea.
During World War II, she filled the billet of Chief Nurse at the Naval Training School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and then, in July 1943 was assigned as Chief Nurse, Echo Base Hospital #10, Sydney, Australia and promoted to lieutenant commander.
In 1945, she was assigned as Nurse Indoctrination Instructor, Philadelphia Naval Hospital, then traveled to Klamath Falls, Oregon, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Houghton became the Senior nurse corps Officer, Navy Medical Unit, Tripler Army General Hospital in Hawaii in 1950.
She later earned a master of science degree in Nursing from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C.[2] Houghton married Gordon Bennett Tayloe in July 1963.