Landon School

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Landon School
Virtute et non vi
"By virtue, not by force"
Location
Bethesda, MD, USA
Information
Religion Non-sectarian
Headmaster David M. Armstrong
Enrollment

675 total
Lower School: 125
Middle School: 216
Upper School: 334
Student:teacher ratio 6:1
Type Private Preparatory School
Campus Suburban, 75 acres (30 ha)
Athletics 15 Interscholastic Sports
Athletics conference IAC
Mascot Bear
Color(s) Brown and White
         
Established 1929
Homepage www.landon.net

Landon School is an independent, non-sectarian, college preparatory school for boys in grades 3-12, with an enrollment of about 675 students. The school sits on 75 acres in Bethesda, Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C. Its tagline is "Landon knows boys."

Contents

[edit] Background

Paul Landon Banfield founded The Landon School with the help of his wife, Mary Lee, in 1929. The school's first location was an old brownstone in the embassy row area of Washington, D.C., now home to the embassy of Estonia. Banfield moved Landon to its present campus in Bethesda in 1936.

Landon's mission statement reads,

"Landon School prepares talented boys for productive lives as accomplished, responsible and caring men whose actions are guided by the principles of perseverance, teamwork, honor and fair play."

The school's motto is "Virtute et non vi", meaning, "By virtue, not by force."

Landon School's Headmasters have been:

  • Paul Landon Banfield: 1929-1970
  • Hugh Riddleberger: 1970-1981
  • Malcolm Coates: 1981-1989
  • Damon F. Bradley: 1990-2004
  • David M. Armstrong: 2004-2008

The school prides itself on its student-initiated and student-run Honor Code, begun in the early 1960s.



[edit] Athletics

As of 2005, Landon had won 45 IAC tennis championships and 25 lacrosse IAC championships. Consistently among the top 20 programs in the country and several times #1, lacrosse is Landon's most well-known sport. Landon had won 23 straight IAC championships and had beaten arch-rival Georgetown Prep 17 games in a row before losing in 2003. This 17 game run was widely known in lacrosse circles as "The Streak".

Landon's Varsity Lacrosse Team, coached by Robinson Bordley, was national champion in 1999, 2001, and 2002. Many Landon graduates have gone on to captain NCAA Division 1 lacrosse teams, including University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Virginia, and University of Maryland. Landon boasts numerous All-Americans in NCAA Division 1 and 2 lacrosse, and the class of 2005 featured 13 Division 1 recruits. The team has 29 graduates currently playing Division 1 Lacrosse. In 2006, Landon class of 2002 graduate Matt Ward won the Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the best player in college division 1 lacrosse. He also broke Gary Gait's record of most goals in the NCAA tournament in one year, scoring 16. Landon currently offers varsity sports in football, soccer, cross country, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, swimming, riflery, lacrosse, baseball, track and field, tennis, rugby union, and golf, as well as intramural programs including a squash team, fencing team and Ultimate Frisbee team. Also, in 2007 a club water polo team was formed that plays other regional schools.

[edit] The arts

The arts play an important role at Landon. The school has been recognized by numerous publications as one of the top private institutions in the area for the advancement of the arts. The Upper School has a two-year requirement for either music, art, or theatre.

The school's musical groups include a Jazz Band, a Concert Band, a String Ensemble, Handbells, and various choirs for younger students. Studio art classes include ceramics, digital arts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

Some highlights of Landon's Arts curriculum:

The Landon Symphonette 
The Landon Symphonette is a compendium of musicians from the school, as well as other local area high schools and colleges who play together with professionals.
In its 16th Season (as of 2006-07) under the direction of Mr. Richard Weilenmann, The Landon Symphonette has become a mentoring orchestra in the Washington Metropolitan area. Bill Hudnut, former Mayor of Idianapolis, supports the symphonette both finacially and physically, by being the announcer at concerts. Participation in the orchestra is attained through recommendation by the students’ music teacher or private instructor, and a required audition from the Symphonette Director.
The Landow Art Gallery 
The Landow Gallery is a gallery for temporary exhibits of artwork of everything from Landon student work to professional showings, and artwork by artists from other local-area schools. The intimate space is alternately used for recitals, small-scale musical productions, poetry readings and faculty performances. It was established by original curator and beloved long-time former-Landon teacher Ellie Johnson, who died in the summer of 2006. The current gallery curator is prominent Washington, D.C. artist and Landon art teacher Mr. Walt Bartman.

[edit] Academics

Some of the most popular destinations for Landon grads are the University of Virginia, Duke, Georgetown University, Princeton University, The University of Maryland, and Davidson College.

Some highlights of Landon's academic curriculum:

Humanities 
All Landon juniors are required to take two semesters of Humanities: Landon's interdisciplinary course designed to introduce students to the rudiments of Western culture and civilization. The course is a study of major ideas and influences that have shaped European culture from the Classical to Modern era through thorough analysis of history, literature, art and music.
Economics 
In its third annual “Advanced Placement Report to the Nation 2007,” published on February 7, 2007, the College Board has recognized Landon School as an exemplar program in AP Microeconomics among non-public schools in the world.
Teacher Mr. John Bellaschi and his Advanced Placement students ranked first in the nation in the small-size school evaluation category (<300 students in grades 10-12). Landon is one of five schools in Maryland recognized this year by the College Board’s report.
Buchanan Library
Built in 1962, Landon's Buchanan Library is dedicated to Wiley T. Buchanan, a former Landon parent and trustee. The Library boasts a collection of over 27,000 volumes, including a reference and literary criticism section.


[edit] Faculty

Landon uses the teacher-coach model, in which its faculty also serve as advisors and coaches to the boys. Every coach at the school also teaches a subject.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References


[edit] External links

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Interstate Athletic Conference