Kenneth recalls his father's advice against movies, cigarettes, drinking, and bad girls, and how at an early age he discovered that "all these things are probably delightful." He tells about how he began buying his own clothes at the age of fourteen…
Margaret reads from her journal about Kenneth's wedding clothes. Kenneths comments on an elder professor's remark who thought the wedding clothes Kenneth had chosen would be inappropriate for a young man who had not yet achieved recognition in the…
Kenneth worked regularly for Robert Dick Wilson, with little sleep but he never really felt tired. He considered it a privilege to work with Wilson, who also loved working with Kenneth. Wilson would save special projects for Kenneth, knowing that he…
Kenneth started to get into fights with a number of kids and enjoyed playing with his friend Juddy. He and his brother's behavior draws criticism from neighboring families and the Landons eventually moved away to live at the edge of the town
Margaret tells about her family and describes their physical characteristics. She begins with her grandfather, Laurids Jurgen Moeller Mortenson, from Denmark. He managed to come to the US and attended Garrett Biblical Institute. Upon graduation he…
On Lincoln Street lived a woman named Lucy Fitch Perkins, whose son Larry was about Evangeline's age. She was a very popular writer of children's books. She would call the neighborhood kids to read them her stories, trying out her new books.
Kenneth tells about his mother's family and his frequent train trips to Brooklyn to his mother's home. Margaret gives the birth dates for Kenneth's parents and for each of their children.
Mae Landon was a very elegant woman, always properly dressed, walked elegantly, with flashing brown eyes. She was not the kind of person who would bother to explain things to people (like in the stout story). She would sit very elegantly and never…
Kenneth's mother spoke with his high school principal, Miss Haxton, five years after his graduation. The principal was quite surprised to hear that Kenneth was studying to become a minister--she never though that he would come to any good.
It was easy to make friends and there was so much going on. One night Margaret heard music outside just as she was ready to go to bed, and her friend Muriel urged her to come out. There was a group of boys serenading them that night.
Margaret remembers the first time she and Kenneth met. It was at the registrar's office, where Lois McShane was with Margaret. Kenneth had met Lois before, so she was a very important factor in Margaret and Kenneth's meeting.
Kenneth bought an engagement ring for Margaret with the money he got from tips while working at Mrs. Rodin's restaurant. He remembers Margaret putting off their engagement and marriage project. Both wonder if Margaret was afraid, especially because…
Kenneth and Margaret did a fair bit of diplomatic entertaining. One evening they had Queen Ramphai Barni and Prince Supsowat over for dinner. The Queen's brother was sure to note that he was the member of the royal family that likes Margaret's book…
Kenneth and Margaret recount the story of the Madonna and child statue. They wanted the statue to be quite elaborate, and through some trouble and climbing found a man to do the job. The statue was to be of high quality marble, and the sculptor…
Margaret tells the story of her Chinese pictures of Christian scenes. It began when the Landons were living in Siam. Margaret received a magazine for women that contained a picture of a Madonna done in the Chinese manner, and she wanted to have the…
After the Thai-British negotiations in 1946, the Thai government wanted to give a gift to Kenneth. However, Kenneth had the reputation of not accepting gifts of any value. The government had a policy that fine statues of the Buddha could not be taken…
In March of 1942 Kenneth delivered the Taft lectures at Cincinnati. That was his beginning as a professor of Oriental philosophy. The event was stimulated by the course in Chinese philosophy that he had presented at Earlham. The lectures were…
In 1941 Kenneth Landon kept an office in the Library of Congress, where he enlisted the help of Shio Sakanishi, a Tokyo-born Japanese expert working in the Division of Orientalia. Horace Poleman, who became one of Landon’s best friends, worked with…
Margaret returns to Kenneth's first weeks in Washington and the report he presented, based on his knowledge of the terrain in Thailand. She says that when she and Kenneth were in the final years of their second tour in Siam that the Japanese were…
Margaret tells of the Landons' first Christmas in Thailand. It was Peggy's first Christmas, and presents came from the U.S. Even though Adelle and the girls had very little money, they always found ways of sending gifts. She tells of the customs and…
Margaret's desire was to go to Vassar for college. Her parents decided that she should go to Wheaton, so they took her to visit there. To convince her, Margaret's parents bargained with her that she could go to the girls' summer camp again if she…
In 1913 the Mortensons bought a new house at 2400 Harrison St., just a couple of blocks from 2218 Central St. This was a comfortable, plain, square house, like so many throughout the Midwest in those days. The family lived there until 1923 when they…