Born: January 26, 1942
Died: March 6, 1970

Once a promising young student and social activist, Diana Oughton became increasingly radical during the political turmoil of the Vietnam era. Never identified as a prominent terrorist, she died in a bomb factory of the Weathermen—a terrorist organization to which she belonged.

A solid family

Born on January 26, 1942, Oughton was the first of her parents’ four daughters. She was raised in Dwight, Illinois, a small farming community in the northern part of the state. Oughton’s family was respected for its history of social consciousness. Her father’s great-great-grandfather founded the Keeley Institute for alcoholics. And her mother’s great-grandfather, W. D. Boyce, was responsible for establishing the American Boy Scouts. Oughton’s father, James Oughton, turned to the restaurant business after completing an Ivy League education. Conservative and Episcopalian, the Oughton family stood out...