William S. Laughlin (August 26, 1919 – April 6, 2001) was an American anthropologist who carried on research and wrote about aboriginal peoples in the Aleutians and Greenland.
Laughlin first came to Alaska in 1938 as a member of the Smithsonian Expedition to the Aleutian Islands, directed by Dr. Aleš Hrdlička.
Over the years, he made over twenty trips to the Aleutians to study its peoples.
His research there culminated in the publication in 1980 of his book, Aleuts: Survivors of the Bering Land Bridge.
He also co-edited the book, The First Americans: Origins, Affinities and Adaptations, with Connecticut colleague, Albert B. Harper.