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 (1929): Siam: Maragaret Started Driving Again (hour 45, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Maragaret Wrote Kenneth's Parents About Billy (hour 45, clip 17)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-17
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret and Kenneth Describe Monsoons (hour 51, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC51-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Attended a Siamese Wedding (hour 50, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Comments on Skin Color (hour 50, clip 18)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-18
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Describes a Normal Day (hour 49, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Describes Chong (hour 48, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC48-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret on the House and Garden at Trang (hour 49, 19)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-19
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Suspected Trouble at the School (hour 50, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Trains Nai Dit to Cook (hour 45, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret was Concerned About Diseases (hour 50, clip 12)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-12
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret Writes Home: Birthdays, Weather, Food (hour 50, clip 17)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-17
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's First Letter from Trang (hour 46, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC46-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Garden (hour 46, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC46-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Last Letter of the Year Continued (hour 53, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC53-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Last Letter of the Year (hour 52, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Letter: Being Left Alone, Darun's Eye (hour 45, clip 12)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-12
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Letter: Eve is Married, Dresses, Garden, Tour (hour 51, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC51-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Letter to Evangeline (hour 52, clip 1)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-01
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Letter to Kenneth (hour 51, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC51-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Letter to Kenneth's Father (hour 52, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Loneliness, Kenneth's Seafaring Adventures (hour 46, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC46-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Trip on a Steamer (hour 52, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's Trip to India (hour 52, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Margaret's True Vacation in Malaya (hour 52, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Move to Trang and the Landon's First Impressions (hour 46, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC46-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Mr. Snyder Died at Nakhon (hour 47, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC47-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Mrs. Bulkley and Her Advice (hour 50, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Nanhalung Show (hour 48, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC48-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Peggy, Bill and Margaret (hour 50, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Peggy Learned to Put Her Own Shoes On (hour 45, clip 5)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-05
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Problem of Dogs and Cats (hour 45, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Problem with Buffalo in the Compound (hour 47, clip 3)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC47-03
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Problem with Kru Tim (hour 45, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC45-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Servant Problems (hour 49, clip 17)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-17
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The House at Trang (hour 49, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The Landons' Cats (hour 49, clip 6)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-06
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The Landons Helped Two Men Get Educated for Missions (hour 51, clip 8)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC51-08
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The Landons Made Durian Ice Cream (hour 49, clip 18)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-18
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The Police Lieutenant at Trang, and Kenneth's Bra Chot (hour 51, clip 4)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC51-04
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The Servants were Stealing Food (hour 50, clip 9)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-09
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: The Thai Servants were Superstitious (hour 50, clip 7)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC50-07
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1929): Siam: Yin Lang Borrowed Some Money from Margaret (hour 49, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC49-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1929
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1930-1950): Margaret and Kenneth on Her Chinese Paintings (hour 74, clip 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC74-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1930-1950
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1930): Collecting jack Fruit and Gardening Poinsettias (hour 56, clip 13)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC56-13
Dates:
Digitized: 1930
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1930): Evangeline and Evan and Their Issues with Money (hour 52, clip 16)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC52-16
Dates:
Digitized: 1930
Found in:
Wheaton College Archives
Landon Chronicles (1930): Kenneth's New Idea: Epistolary Evangelism (hour 56, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC56-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1930
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1930): Life on Tajin Road (hour 56, 2)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC56-02
Dates:
Digitized: 1930
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1930): Margaret and Kenneth on Gardening and Palm Trees (hour 57, clip 10)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC57-10
Dates:
Digitized: 1930
Found in:
Special Collections
Landon Chronicles (1930): Margaret and Kenneth on Peggy and Bill (hour 57, clip 11)
Digital Record
Identifier: LC57-11
Dates:
Digitized: 1930
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
- 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 -- 20th century. 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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