Landon, Kenneth Perry, 1903-
Biographical Statement
Kenneth Landon was born on March 27, 1903 in Meadville, Pennsylvania. His parents were Mae and Brad Landon. Brad had studied at LaFayette College and was an engineer with the Erie Railroad. They settled in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where Kenneth spent his childhood.
Kenneth spent three years at Wheaton and after graduation in 1924 he went to Princeton, where he pursued a Th.M. degree.
Margaret Mortenson and Kenneth were engaged in September, 1924 and they married in June, 1926. After marriage, they prepared for the mission field and traveled to Thailand. The Landon's had five to six acres on their compound in Trang.
In Thailand Margaret served as Headmistress of Anakul Satri Girl's School and was put in charge of the school in 1930-31. During his time in Thailand, Kenneth traveled extensively as an evangelist and was able to plant 6 churches. Along with his church planting activities, he pastored a church in Trang for some time. While the family was on furlough in 1937/38 it was decided that they would not return to Thailand, leaving nearly all of their household belongings and possessions in Thailand.
It was while they were on this last furlough that Kenneth completed a Ph.D. in one year from the University of Chicago. In one furious year Kenneth completed his coursework, took his exams, and wrote and defended his dissertation that was later published as Siam in Transition. After his resignation and the completion of his degree, Kenneth began to look for work, preferably as a pastor, which was not an easy task at the time. After much delay he was able to obtain a position teaching philosophy at Earlham College in Indiana in 1939.
It was during his time at Earlham, during the summer of 1941, that Kenneth received a call from Col. William Donovan. Bill Donovan, later called the “father of American Intelligence”, said President Roosevelt wanted Kenneth in Washington as soon as possible to make a report about the Japanese in Indochina and they needed his help to understand Thailand and the region. Initially, Kenneth was not interested in becoming permanently involved because he enjoyed his time and teaching at Earlham, but this call began a long and illustrious career for Kenneth in the US government. Kenneth’s briefings and seminars proved helpful as the US involvement in Southeast Asia increased during the war and in the future.
While Kenneth served as a government specialist on Southeast Asia, Margaret completed the necessary research to write a story about Anna Leonowens, a governess in the court of King Mongkut. Margaret published several articles about Leonowens and in 1942 completed Anna and the King of Siam, which sold 790,000 copies in the United States and the United Kingdom alone. Later she wrote the novel Never Dies the Dream. Margaret Landon's work was adapted for film by 20th Century Fox in 1946 as Anna and the King of Siam, starring Rex Harrison and Irene Dunne. Margaret’s story became the basis for The King and I, a wonderful musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
In 1954, Kenneth left the State Department and moved to the White House Staff of Dwight D. Eisenhower, working for the National Security Council on policy implementation. During the coming years Kenneth made numerous trips to Southeast Asia. In 1960, on one such trip he met with Ngo Diem, self-declared president of the Republic of Vietnam. In 1961 a new administration entered the White House and with increased concerns over communism and insurgency, President Kennedy established a seminar of ambassadors, generals, and other high officials for training in counter-insurgency. This seminar became informally known as the Country Team Seminar and with his knowledge of Southeast Asia, Kenneth would be a regular lecturer. In 1963, Kenneth became the Associate Dean of the Foreign Service Institute's language and area studies program, a natural extension of his previous work.
In 1965, Kenneth retired from the State Department with its highest honor and became a full professor at the American University. He served in this capacity for nine years assisting many students as they pursued advanced degrees. He retired once again, this time at the age of 71. Retirement was a difficult adjustment. He had been a man of great efforts, energy, and accomplishments. As Margaret's health failed Kenneth began to take over the responsibilities of the home.
Ken Landon died August 26, 1993 and Margaret followed soon thereafter, passing away December 4th. Both are buried in Wheaton, Illinois.
Citation:
Author: Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections staffFound in 817 Collections and/or Records:
Landon Chronicles (1924): Kenneth's Letters to Margaret in the Summer of 1924 (hour 21, clip 13)
Landon Chronicles (1924): Kenneth's Summer of 1924 (hour 22, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1924): Margaret and Kenneth Get Engaged (hour 20, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1924): Margaret Had an Engagement Luncheon and Kenneth's Interships (hour 21, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1924): The Wright Family Lived Next to the Mortensons in Wheaton (hour 22, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1926): Gospel Preacher was Booed at Princeton (hour 32, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1926): Kenneth Led the Youth Group at His Church (hour 27, clip 23)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1926): Kenneth Started a Book Business (hour 21, clip 10)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1926): Kenneth was Saving Money for Marriage (hour 27, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1926): Kenneth's Work with Robert Dick Wilson (hour 27, clip 21)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1927): Kenneth on His Sermon on Guardian Angels (hour 83, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1927): Kenneth Worked as an Usher at Football Games (hour 24, clip 11)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1941): Kenneth on His Terms as Pastor in the US (hour 71, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1925-1953): The Story of Adelle's Money (hour 24, clip 9)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Ann Wilson Met Kenneth After Class (hour 27, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Bernie Green (hour 23, clip 14)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Girls at Kenneth's Church Would Ask Him for a Ride Home (hour 32, clip 12)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth and His Parents Go to Billy Irwin's House (hour 27, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Attracted New People to the Columbus Church (hour 24, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Comments on His April 5 Sermon (hour 23, clip 11)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Eagerly Awaited Seeing Margaret at Christmas (hour 27, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Finished Selling His Books and His Parents Visited (hour 27, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Gave His Weight (hour 27, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Got a Place to Stay with Mrs. Townsend (hour 24, clip 13)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Got Into a Water Fight (hour 24, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Had an Argument with His Head Elder (hour 24, clip 15)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth in Hebrew and the Time Robert Wilson Invited Him to Tea (hour 23, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Meets Mrs. Agnus Wright (hour 24, clip 14)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Missed Anenus Duabus' Funeral (hour 24, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth on Easter Sunday at the Columbus Church (hour 24, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Paints His Car (hour 25, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Rode the Train with His Mother (hour 25, clip 1)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Studied Madly (hour 23, clip 10)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth, the Big Chief and the Wright Family (hour 27, clip 22)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Visited His Uncle Ed with His Father (hour 23, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth was Eager to Get Married (hour 23, clip 8)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth was Looking for a Church to Lead (hour 23, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth was Offered a Church in Columbus, New Jersey (hour 23, clip 9)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Went to the Annual Banquet Though He was Sick (hour 23, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth Would Have Made More Money at the Railroad (hour 25, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's 2nd Year at Princeton: Room, Business and Degree (hour 25, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's Approach to Taking Tests (hour 24, clip 12)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's Career of Attending Funerals (hour 24, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's Congregation Liked Him (hour 24, clip 1)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's First Day at His Church in Columbus, NJ (hour 23, clip 13)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's First Funeral (hour 25, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's Letter to Margaret After Learning of Anenus Duabus' Death (hour 25, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Kenneth's Mother Visited Him in Ohio (hour 27, clip 9)
Landon Chronicles (1925): Modernist and Fundamentalist Debate at Princeton (hour 23, clip 12)
Landon Chronicles (1925): The Checkers Club Met in Das Machen's Room (hour 23, clip 1)
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