Landon, Margaret, 1903-1993.
Person
Biographical Statement
Margaret Landon (September 7, 1903 – December 4, 1993) was an American writer who became famous for Anna and the King of Siam, her 1944 novel of the life of Anna Leonowens. Her book on Leonowens was published in 1944 and became an instant bestseller. It eventually sold over a million copies and was published in more than twenty languages. In 1950, Mrs. Landon sold the musical play rights to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammenstein II, who created the musical The King and I from her book. A later work, Never Dies the Dream, about her own experiences, appeared in 1949.
Born as Margaret Dorothea Mortenson to Anenus Duabus "A.D." and Adelle Mortensen in Somers, Wisconsin, she was one of three daughters in a devout Methodist family. The family moved to Evanston, Illinois, where she graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1921. She attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, graduating in 1925. She taught school for a year, then married Kenneth Landon, who she knew from Wheaton, and in 1927 they signed up as Presbyterian missionaries to Thailand. Between 1927-1937, in addition to having three children, Margaret Schoeherr, Carol Pearson, and William, while also running a mission school in Trang, Landon read extensively about the country. During her readings, she learned about Leonowens. When the family returned to America in 1937, she soon began writing articles and then began researching material for a book on Leonowens. The family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1942 when her husband joined the United States Department of State as an expert adviser on Southeast Asia. In 1947, Kenneth authored "Southeast Asia, Crossroad of Religion," subsequently reprinted in 1969 and 1974. He also wrote "The Chinese in Thailand" and "Siam in Transition." Her 4th child, Kenneth, Jr., was born in Washington, D.C. He followed the lead of his parents and took up writing about his own field of interest, releasing a weighty (904 pages) tome, "God of Glory: The Promise of Relationship" in 1992. Margaret Landon was married sixty-seven years. She died in Alexandria, Virginia, December 4, 1993, aged 90, leaving 13 grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren. One of her great grandchildren is also a writer. Mrs. Landon is interred in Wheaton Cemetery in Illinois.
Citation:
Author: Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections staffCitation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_LandonFound in 573 Collections and/or Records:
DuPage Heritage Gallery Records
Collection
Identifier: SC-074
Scope and Contents
The DuPage Heritage Gallery Records comprise a wide variety of written records created by the organization’s staff during the course of its work from its inception and over the subsequent 25 years. These are materials pertaining to the Gallery itself and to specific exhibits. The organization of the collection tries to reflect this distinction in its divisions, which include “General”, “Administration”, “Publications”, “Gallery Dedication (Governor’s Dinner)” and “Inductees”....
Dates:
Created: 1974-2000; Other: Majority of material found in 1981-1999; Other: Date acquired: 2001
Found in:
Special Collections
/
DuPage Heritage Gallery Records
Kenneth and Margaret Landon Papers
Unprocessed Material — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 2024-0004
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1850-1923): Dorthea Bergersdatter (hour 9, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC09-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1850-1923
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1857-1916): Siam: Phya Ratsida (hour 48, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC48-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1857-1916
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1860-1930): Henry Clayton Landon (hour 5, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC05-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1860-1930
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1863-1934): Edward "Ed" Dayton Landon (hour 5, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC05-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1863-1934
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1869-1953): William Bradley Landon Sr. (hour 5, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC05-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1869-1953
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1875-1925): Annenus Duabus Mortenson (hour 9, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC09-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1875-1925
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1877-1889): Stories From the Childhood of Adelle Estburg (hour 11, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1877-1889
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1877-1902): Souvenirs, Recreations and Employment of Adelle Estburg (hour 10, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC10-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1877-1902
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1877-1967): Adelle Johanne Estburg (hour 9, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC09-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1877-1967
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1887): Margaret on Her Parents and Extended Family (hour 58, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC58-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1887
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1892-1942): Kenneth and Marget on Prince Damrong (hour 63, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC63-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1892-1942
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1894-1895): William and Mae Landon's Courtship and His Whiskey (hour 1, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC01-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1894-1895
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1895): William and Mae Landon were Married (hour 1, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC01-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1895
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1900-1901): Adelle Estburg Saw Her First Motorcar (hour 11, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1900-1901
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1902-1903): Early Marriage of Anenus Duabus and Adelle Mortensen (hour 11, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1902-1903
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1902): Anenus Duabus Mortenson and Adelle Estburg are Married (hour 10, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC10-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1902
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1906): Margaret's Earliest Memories (hour 11, clip 12)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-12
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1906
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1907): Margaret's Family Went to a Methodist Summer Camp (hour 14, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC14-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1907
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1910): Margaret Dragged a Christmas Tree Home (hour 14, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC14-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1910
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1911): Kenneth Summarizes the Family's Houses Until 1911 (hour 2, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC02-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1911
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1913): Kenneth's Family Was of a Puritan Background (hour 1, clip 21)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC01-21
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1913
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1917): Margaret Was Raised to be Polite (hour 12, clip 14)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC12-14
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1917
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1919): African Americans in Evanston (hour 13, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC13-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1919
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1919): Mary Peabody was Margaret's Best Friend (hour 13, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC13-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1919
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1919): Mrs. D'Armant Minium (hour 8, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC08-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1919
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1919): Recreation During Margaret's Childhood (hour 13, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC13-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1919
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1919): Transportation, Shops and Income in Margaret's Childhood (hour 13, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC13-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1919
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1920): Margaret Grew Up in a Musical Household (hour 15, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC15-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1920
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1921): The Childhood Recreation of Kenneth and Margaret (hour 7, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC07-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1921
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1922): Aunt Minnie's Family and the Importance of Family Visits (hour 14, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC14-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1922
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1922): Boyd Family and the Importance of Church to the Mortensons (hour 14, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC14-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1922
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1922): Fashion in the Mortenson Home (hour 15, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC15-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1922
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1922): Margaret's Family Visited Their Relatives (hour 13, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC13-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1922
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903-1925): Anenus Duabus Preached at Margaret Though She Was Always Religious (hour 15, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC15-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1903-1925
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903): Margaret's Birth Certificate (hour 11, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1903
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1903): Margaret's Birth (hour 11, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1903
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1904): Margaret's Baptism (hour 12, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC12-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1904
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1904): Margaret's Family Moved to Racine (hour 11, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1904
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1905): Mae Fletcher's Family Background (hour 1, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC01-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1905
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1905): Margaret's Family Moved to 1642 Washington Avenue (hour 11, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1905
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1905): Margaret's Family Moved to Chicago (hour 11, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1905
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1906): Insulting Incident (hour 12, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC12-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1906
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1906): Margaret Had an Ear Operation (hour 11, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC11-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1906
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1906): Margaret's Memory of Her Grandfather Estberg (hour 12, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC12-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1906
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1907-1908): How Kenneth Came to 'Love' Fig Newtons (hour 2, clip 12)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC02-12
Dates:
Digitized: 1907-1908
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1907-1976): Charlotte Johns (hour 8, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC08-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1907-1976
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1907): Evangeline Made Mudpies (hour 14, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC14-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1907
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1907): Margaret Gets Scarlet Fever Again (hour 12, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC12-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1907
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Additional filters:
- Type
- Digital Record 568
- Unprocessed Material 3
- Collection 2
- Subject
- Basketball. 7
- Death. 7
- Marriage. 7
- King and I (Motion picture) 4
- Missionaries -- Thailand. 4
- Thailand -- Social life and customs. 4
- Tennis 3
- Articles. 2
- Audiotapes. 2
- Christmas. 2
- Correspondence. 2
- Football 2
- Legal documents. 2
- Photographs. 2
- Wheaton (Ill.) 2
- Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Alumni. 2
- Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Buildings. 2
- Administrative Records. 1
- American University (Washington, D.C.) -- Faculty. 1
- Bangkok (Thailand) 1
- Baptism. 1
- Bradley, Dan Beach, 1804-1873 -- Correspondence. 1
- Chinese -- Thailand. 1
- Christmas trees. 1
- Cole, Edna Sarah -- Correspondence. 1
- Davenport, Mary Frances -- Correspondence. 1
- Dengue. 1
- Dentistry. 1
- Diaries. 1
- DuPage County (Ill.) 1
- DuPage County (Ill.) -- History. 1
- DuPage Heritage Gallery (Ill.) -- Archives. 1
- Financial records. 1
- Golf 1
- Ham 1
- Influenza 1
- Interviews. 1
- Knitting 1
- Landon, Kenneth Perry, 1903- -- Archives. 1
- Landon, Margaret, 1903-1993 -- Archives. 1
- Lectures. 1
- Matoon, Stephen -- Correspondence. 1
- Methodism 1
- Microfilms. 1
- Minutes (Administrative records) 1
- Missions -- China -- 1900-1944. 1
- Missions -- China. 1
- Missions -- Soviet Union. 1
- Missions -- Theory. 1
- Monsoons 1
- Negritos 1
- Organ (Musical instrument) 1
- Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- Clergy. 1
- Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. -- Missions. 1
- Presbyterianism 1
- Religion and culture -- Thailand. 1
- Reviews (documents) 1
- Scarlatina 1
- Serials (publications) 1
- Sermons. 1
- Softball 1
- Southeast Asia -- Politics and government -- 1945- 1
- Stout 1
- Thailand -- Courts and courtiers. 1
- Thailand -- Description and travel. 1
- Thailand -- Religion. 1
- Theses. 1
- Videotapes. 1
- Volleyball 1
- Zippers 1 ∧ less
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