During his 1960 trip, Kenneth, Norm, and Eddie Hanna went swimming in a kiddy pool. They all had a little too much to drink, and Kenneth suggested they go swimming. So they went in, got their swimsuits, and swam in the small little kiddy pool in the…
When Kip was born, Kenneth said, "This boy and I are going to get acquainted." It was impossible to find anyone to come into the home and help. He took annual leave for two weeks, brought Margaret and Kip home from the hospital, and took care of both…
In the spring of 1942, Kenneth delivered the Taft lectures, three lectures, at the University of Cincinnati. In conjunction with that, he worked on reading in Chinese with a view to writing a book on Chinese philosophy.
Upon being asked about Thailand in the modern day, Kenneth makes his assessment. He reports that they will always survive and be independent, as they really know how to get along.
Kenneth tells of Bill Godel. Bil was an assistant of the Operations Coordinating Board who was an ex-marine. He tells of Bill's family which included five daughters!
Kenneth tells the story of the office chair caper from the 1940’s. There was a fellow named Monroe Hall, who was coming back from service in Asia but who was ordered to stay for another year because of something he had done. Eventually he returned to…
Kenneth tells of the "Pentagon Papers". Through the course of things, Kenneth was interviewed and appeared on CBS and the Cronkite show. A. Eustace Haydon saw the interview and sent him a note saying "Memories of happy days!"
Years later, U.S. News and World Report had a "Where Are They Now?" on Jean Saintenay and Kenneth Landon, asking the question of where they were presently. CBS picked it up, and Marvin Kalb came out to the Landon's home with a big crew to tape…
Kenneth flew to Kuala Lumpur, and from there to Djakarta. Kenneth was the desk officer for all these areas of Southeast Asia, so here was Ken Landon from the Department of State visiting the new nation of Indonesia. The rate of exchange on the black…
Kenneth ran the area studies program from 1963 through 1965. He completely reorganized the program, as many found it to be quite insufficient and superficial. Kenneth modeled it along the lines of serious area studies programs he found in various…
Kenneth describes the assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem. He clarifies, once again, that he was never involved. He first describes his relationship with Diem, and then expounds on the results of the assassination.
Kenneth discusses the fourth week of the Country Team Seminar. The groups for Southeast Asia and Latin America divided, both focusing on their respective areas. The main speaker was Professor Russell H. Fifield from the University of Michigan.…
Kenneth comments on how much the family's life had changed over the past few years. He had expected to spend his life as a Presbyterian minister, but then he couldn't get a church, so he became a professor at Earlham, and expected that he would spend…
The Board of Economic Warfare was formed just for the war, and its purpose was to figure out how to cripple the economy of the enemy in the war. It was involved in bombing factories, bridges, acts of sabotage, whatever would cripple the enemy's…
The British couldn't understand why the Americans objected to their twenty-one demands. They pointed out that they had a state of war with Siam, whereas the U.S. did not. But the US won the war in the Pacific, not the British, so the US was going to…
Kenneth tells of the first year under the Kennedy administration. As there were no committees or coordination, Kenneth saw the entire U.S. government as chaotic. He also tells of the Buddhist incident, in which Kenneth advised a group to "drive right…
Kenneth now tells of the Chungking project. This was a possible venture in India and China to tap possible sources of information in Thailand and Indochina, and it was to be based in Chungking. Kenneth was seriously considering going out and setting…
Kenneth gives an account of the Country Team Seminar visiting the White House and meeting the President of the United States. this was a grand time for them, and the President received them quite well. The class was quite enthusiastic about the…
Kenneth discusses the end of the course. He describes the last two days as the best in the course--these were the days the seminar groups gave their presentations, and he found them to be extraordinarily professional. He was particularly impressed by…
Margaret wrote Kenneth that Candy, the bulldog Kenneth had acquired as a pet in Richmond, had bitten a child. Kenneth wrote back that he felt Candy should be disposed of. Margaret kept that dog, and two years later, when Kip was a baby, on March 27,…
The Dolly Madison saga, which happened in February, 1942. Dolly Madison was Kenneth's secretary, and she was madly in love with a reporter for The Washington Post, and a good one, named George. The man wasn't interested in marrying her, so she…
From Saigon Kenneth traveled to Bangkok and Calcutta to catch a military plane that took him to the Philippines. On the plane from the Philippines there were only two passengers. There was no place to sit, so they simply rolled up in blankets and…
Kenneth gives a detailed account of the end of the second week in the Seminar. Walt Rostow and the Attorney General both came this day. Kenneth spent some time talking with men from MIT. Kenneth is working on preparing materials for Africa and the…
Kenneth describes in detail the Executive Office Building. He goes on about a certain office or two, mentioning Rockefeller's office and open fireplace. He talks about the grandeur of the building, with large rooms, large doors, large…
Kenneth gives a detailed description of the fifth day of the seminar. He explains that he has a new librarian, Miss Idol. He also discusses the rapid growth of the library due to requests for documents. He tells his father's chicken story. Word also…