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:
Landon Chronicles (1939-1943): Kenneth and Margaret on the Actual Writing of Anna (hour 75, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC75-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1939-1943
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939-1943): Margaret and Kenneth on Her Writing Anna (hour 77, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1939-1943
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1939-1951): Margaret on Her Falling Out with Muriel Fuller (hour 71, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC71-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1939-1951
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Brad Landon at 710 Walnut Street and the Furniture (hour 2, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC02-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret and Kenneth on Finding Anna Leonowens's Two Out-of-print Books (hour 75, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC75-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret and Kenneth on Meeting Avis Fyshe, Leonowens's Granddaughter (hour 75, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC75-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret on a Commendation from Her Professor (hour 70, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC70-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret on Her Second Article (hour 70, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC70-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret on Her Third Article (hour 70, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC70-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret on Her Unfinished Edna Cole Project (hour 75, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC75-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret on the Background and Publication of Her First Article (hour 70, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC70-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1939): Margaret on Winning a Letter-writing Contest (hour 71, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC71-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1939
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941-1942): Kenneth and Margaret on Two Office of Counter Intelligence (OCI) Workers: Baxter and Remer (hour 64, clip 15)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC64-15
Dates:
Digitized: 1941-1942
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Evangeline's Death (hour 51, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC51-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Kenneth and Margaret on His Earliest Exchanges About Southeast Asia with the United States Government (hour 64, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC64-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Kenneth and Margaret on His Earliest Research Tasks with the Government (hour 64, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC64-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Kenneth and Margaret on Negotiating Pay with Ernest Griffin (hour 64, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC64-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Kenneth on Broadcasts in Thai (hour 64, clip 17)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC64-17
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Kenneth on Having a Tooth Pulled at a "Speed Dentist" (hour 65, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC65-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Kenneth on How and Why He Left Earlham for Government Work (hour 63, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC63-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Margaret and Kenneth on Shio's Party the Night Before Pearl Harbor (hour 65, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC65-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Margaret and Kenneth on the Background to His Report on the Japanese (hour 65, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC65-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1941): Margaret on Margaretta and Ken Wells' Set of Sterling Silver (hour 79, clip 14)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC79-14
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1941): Margaret on Thomas Byrd in the Fleeing of Thailand After Japanese Invasion (hour 79, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC79-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1941
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1942-1943): Kenneth on Margaret Finishing Up Anna and the King of Siam (hour 66, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC66-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1942-1943
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1942-1943): Margaret on How the Book was Titled (hour 77, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1942-1943
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1942-1945): Margaret on Anna Fyshe Visiting and Playing the Piano (hour 87, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC87-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1942-1945
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1942-1955): Peggy and Margaret on Their Steinway Piano (hour 87, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC87-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1942-1955
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1942): Kenneth on How He Got Margaret a Deal for Anna (hour 65, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC65-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1942
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1942): Kenneth on Recreation In and Around Washington DC (hour 65, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC65-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1942
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1942): Margaret and Kenneth on His Taft Lectures and Other Academic Pursuits (hour 66, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC66-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1942
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1943-1944): Margaret and Kenneth on Getting the Manuscript Typed Up (hour 77, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1943-1944
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1943-1944): Margaret on How She Found Out the Number of Copies of Anna Originally Printed (hou 77, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1943-1944
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1943): Margaret and Kenneth on Her Giving Birth to Kip Straight Upon Finishing Anna (hour 77, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1943
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944-1946): Kenneth and Margaret on the Immediate Success of the Book and Its Translations (hour 78, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC78-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1944-1946
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944-1980): Margaret and Kenneth on Friends Within the Literary Society (hour 87, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC87-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1944-1980
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944): Margaret on Getting Theatre Offers Within the First Week (hour 77, clip 12)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-12
Dates:
Digitized: 1944
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944): Margaret on Joining The Literary Society (hour 86, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC86-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1944
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944): Margaret on the Day Anna Was Published (hour 77, 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1944
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944): Margaret on the First Reviews of Anna (hour 77, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC77-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1944
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1944): Margaret on When Candy, the Bulldog, Attacked Kip (hour 74, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC74-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1944
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1946-1948): Margaret on the Beginnings of Never Dies the Dream (hour 82, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC82-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1946-1948
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1946): Kenneth on Ho Chi Minh's Tortoiseshell Gift (hour 72, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC72-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1946
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1946): Margaret and Kenneth on His Receiving of Three Buddhas (hour 79, clip 12)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC79-12
Dates:
Digitized: 1946
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1946): Will on Whether They Saw the Movie in Theatres (hour 78, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC78-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1946
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1948): Margaret on Doubleday Publishing Never Dies the Dream (hour 83, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC83-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1948
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1948): Margaret on Interactions with the John Day Company (hour 82, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC82-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1948
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1949): Margaret on Never Dies the Dream and Mrs. McFarland (hour 82, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC82-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1949
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1950-1951): Margaret on Yul Brynner Being Cast as Mongkut (hour 78, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC78-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1950-1951
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1950-1953): Margaret on the Ordeal with Rodgers and Hammerstein (hour 78, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC78-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1950-1953
Found in:
Special Collections
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
- 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 -- 20th century. 1
- Missions -- China. 1
- Missions -- Soviet Union. 1
- Missions -- Theory. 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 ∧ less
∨ more