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 (1927-1938): Kenneth on Lord Lieutenant Who Helped Circulate Kenneth Landon's Tracts (hour 59, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on Ministering to the Chinese in His Parish, esp. Through Building Schools (hour 60, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on Resolving a Church Schism Over Baptism (hour 60, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on the Story of Ah Peh and the Viper Bite (hour 71, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on Trains, Time, and the Thai (hour 59, clip 1)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on Traveling Around His Parish (hour 59, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on When an Elephant Stole Some Cookies (hour 58, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on When He Almost Got Eaten By a Crocodile (hour 58, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1938): Kenneth on When He Whooped Along with a Pack of Gibbons (hour 58, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1951): Peggy on Watching Her Parents Eat Cake on the Mook as a Child (hour 78, clip 10)
Landon Chronicles (1927-1960): Kenneth on the Lak Muang, a Phallic Symbol (hour 81, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Further Preparations for Siam (hour 34, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth and Margaret are Asked to Go to Siam in May (hour 34, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth and Margaret are Officially Appointed to Siam (hour 33, clip 8)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth and Margaret on Burmese Sayings (hour 58, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth and Margaret Prepared to Go to Siam (hour 33, clip 10)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth and Margaret Visited the Meadville Church (hour 34, clip 13)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth Announced Margaret's Pregnancy (hour 33, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth Got Rid of Things and Margaret Saved Things (hour 29, clip 10)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth on When He Found the "Men's Room" (hour 59, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth Received a Good Picture of Both of His Parents (hour 34, clip 12)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth Took Margaret for Walks (hour 34, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth was Given Money to Bring the Car to Siam (hour 34, clip 10)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth's Letter: Final Exams, Bible Conference (hour 34, clip 17)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth's Letter: Leaving Columbus (hour 34, clip 15)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth's Letter: Leaving Columbus, the Car, and Travel (hour 34, clip 16)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth's Medical Exam for the Mission Board (hour 34, clip 14)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth's Ordination (hour 34, clip 19)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Kenneth's Parents' Thoughts When Kenneth Went to Thailand (hour 7, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Margaret's "Appendicitis" and Kenneth's Caregiving (hour 34, clip 1)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Margaret's Letter: Entertaining the Clique & the Sermon Contest (hour 33, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Margaret's Nicknames (hour 34, clip 8)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Ah Chuan's Baby (hour 41, clip 1)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Dinner Parties (hour 38, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Festivals, the King's Birthday, the Golden Mountain (hour 39, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Furniture (hour 40, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Household Matters (hour 37, clip 17)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth and Margaret's Progress with the Language (hour 37, clip 12)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Attended a Chinese Wedding (hour 37, clip 16)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Bought a China Set at an Auction (hour 37, clip 11)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Describes a Normal Day (hour 38, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Got His Driver's License (hour 36, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Got Some Tekal Buttons (hour 37, clip 5)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Preached in a Church and Visited a Snake Farm (hour 37, clip 7)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Spoke Siamese Like the Bible (hour 39, clip 2)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth was Taking Margaret to See the Nurse Regularly (hour 37, clip 14)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth Went for Evening Walks (hour 37, clip 6)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth's Car Set on Fire (hour 37, clip 4)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth's First Time Preaching in Meadville (hour 51, clip 3)
Landon Chronicles (1927): Siam: Kenneth's Letter to His Mother (hour 38, clip 3)
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