Alumni - Landon School | Private School in Washington, D.C., Area

Connections that last for life.

Landon has more than 3,900 alumni living in 44 states and 20 countries.

Landon alumni are internationally renowned musicians, CEOs, entrepreneurs, educators, doctors, legislators, professional athletes, legal experts, and so much more. But at our core, we are Landon Bears, and we are always willing to help fellow alumni with life advice or career guidance.

Whatever path a Landon boy chooses in life, he will have the support of Bears everywhere because they trust the character, intellect, and work ethic that stem from this shared experience.

Network on Alumnifire Update contact info Submit Class NoTE

Stephen Gordon and family at alumni luncheon

The ten formative years I spent at Landon gave me structure, consistent support, love, and discipline. It gave me a solid foundation based on the core values of honor, respect, and service to others. It’s hard to adequately measure how Landon has positively shaped my life.

- stephen gordon, SR. '75

Anchor

Events

Join us!

Thank you to all of our alumni and families who made Homecoming and Reunions Weekend so memorable and fun last year. The 2023 weekend is around the corner. Save the dates for homecoming and our other fall events. Register for many of our events using the links below.

Anchor

Stay Connected

Welcome Home

While the White Rocks, The Farmhouse, and all our brick buildings serve as constant reminders of the tradition of excellence that has permeated our institution for generations, your deepest ties to Landon are likely formed in the fond memories of influential faculty and impactful friendships. Landon School graduates have made their mark not only in each other’s lives, but also on the wider world for nearly a century.

If you’ve fallen out of touch, we welcome you home to Landon. Come see how our mission is inspiring a new generation. Please submit updates on your life, provides us with contact information so you receive our newsletters and magazines, and connect with our Landon alumni.

Have you joined Landon's dedicated alumni networking platform for job postings, discussions, mentoring and more? Join the 465+ members and spread the word among fellow Bears!

Alumnifire linkedin instagram facebook

update contact info

Photo Credit: Washington Luxury

Having lost my father, Landon was a savior for me as a young boy. Landon served as a second family to me. My Landon friends have been there for me. They show up, and showing up is what matters most. To the teachers, coaches, parents, and classmates, I can only say—I am sincerely grateful.

- Michael Banks '92

Anchor

Alumni Groups

New York Bears

Our New York alumni group (New York-New Jersey-Connecticut) attends hockey games, enjoys dinner at restaurants owned by alumni, and more.

Bay Area Bears

Our West Coast alumni living in the San Francisco area come together for sporting events, dinners, business meet-and-greets and other events to make connections.

Grizzly Bears

The Grizzly Bears comprise alumni who graduated from Landon 50 or more years ago. They get together for receptions, meetings and other events on campus.

U.S. Bears

Our United States Bears group connects alumni who serve or have served in the military, including Landon founder Paul Banfield, who served in World War II.

Interested in more information about our alumni groups?
Contact the Alumni Office at alumni@landon.net.

Anchor

Give

Support Landon

Landon relies on the generosity of its alumni to continue its mission to prepare future generations of boys to become responsible, caring, and accomplished men.

Alumni contributions directly benefit the experience of our boys by increasing our ability to fund scholarships, retain impactful faculty, and make investments in academic, arts, and athletic facilities.

Give Now

Our Campus Master Plan

Campaign for Landon

Building for the Future

As we look forward to Landon's centennial and beyond, we see the necessity to address pressing facility, endowment, and annual giving needs to ensure we can live our mission to the fullest, both now and in the future. To that end, we have launched a campaign to raise $50 to support and amplify the values we hold dear.

campaign for landon

Anchor

Alumni Spotlights

Juan Valdivieso '99

April 26, 2023

When Juan Valdivieso ’99 was a young child, he used to pretend he was competing in the Olympics. His grandfather, or “El Mago,” as he was known in Peru, was a sensational athlete who had represented Peru in the first World Cup and the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany. Juan used to look though his family photo album and imagine he was there, watching and cheering on his grandfather. “I always dreamed of following in my grandfather’s footsteps,” said Juan. “He was my idol when I was a boy. I was so proud to have had a relative compete in both the Olympics and the World Cup. It’s really quite remarkable.” Over time, Juan’s dreams of following in his grandfather’s footsteps would become the driving force that would lead him on his own Olympic journey.

Alumni Awards

The Anthony Edward Kupka ’64 Distinguished Alumnus Award

The Anthony Edward Kupka ’64 Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented annually at the holiday luncheon to an alumnus who has been selected to receive it by the Awards Committee of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. The award was established in 1981 in memory of Buddy Kupka ’64 who was killed in the Vietnam War.

Nominate an Alumnus

About Anthony Edward "Buddy" Kupka '64
Kupka Award Winners

About Anthony Edward "Buddy" Kupka '64

During his years at Landon, Buddy exemplified all the qualities of citizenship, integrity, and diligence Landon has always sought to instill in its students. The award is made each year to an alumnus who has demonstrated the ideals for which Landon stands through service to Landon, his community, his profession, or his country.

Kupka Award Winners

2021

2020 Lynn D. Wilson ’80
2019 Thomas C. Hanks ’62
2018 Roger S. Blumenthal ’77
2017 Jonathan D. Schiller ’65
2016 The Hon. Steve Rideout ’61
2015 Dr. James L. Cavanaugh Jr. ’59
2014 Donald L. Dell ’56
2013 Cary M. Maguire ’46
2012 Charles A. Hobbs ’46
2011 Tom McEwan ’64 and Jamie McEwan ’70
2010 John F. “Jeff” Fort III ’59
2009 Dr. Richard K. Dortzbach ’55
2008 Devol Brett ’41
2007 Joshua M. Freeman ’83
2006 Phillip S. Jacobs ’69
2005 John M. Ourisman ’71
2004 Maury Povich ’57
2003 Bruce T. Adams ’66
2002 Rush Holt ’66
2001 Rufus King ’60

2000 Jerry FitzGerald ’50
1999 Ahmet Ertegun ’40
1998 Knight Kiplinger ’65
1997 Win Wilson ’45
1996 Alan Brinkley ’67
1995 Charlie Whitebread ’61
1994 John A. Manfuso ’47
1993 George Kriner ’43
1992 Bob Hanson ’43
1991 Lou Byron ’57
1990 John Walker ’44
1989 Don Harris ’47
1988 Stan Harris ’45
1987 Landon Banfield ’50
1986 Chuck Boteler ’41
1985 Tom Owen ’53
1984 John Gill ’42
1983 Bill Patch ’43
1982 Harrison Prindle ’31
1981 Alumni who gave their lives in the service of their country

The W. Landon Banfield ’50 Award for Outstanding Service

This award is bestowed annually at the holiday luncheon on an alumnus who, through the years, has been selflessly devoted to the development of Landon School and the well-being of its boys. The award is named in honor of  Dr. W. Landon Banfield ’50 for his tireless dedication to the preservation of the Landon tradition.

Nominate an Alumnus

About Dr. W. Landon Banfield ’50
Banfield Award Winners

About Dr. W. Landon Banfield ’50

William Landon Banfield III ’50, trustee emeritus and nephew of school founder Paul Landon Banfield, graduated from Princeton University and George Washington University Medical School, where he was later on the faculty. He was an Air Force flight surgeon from 1959-61 and was a partner in the Urology Group medical practice in Washington, D.C. A native of Bethesda, he lived in Poolesville with his wife, Cicely Anderson Banfield. The Banfields had three children, including two Landon alumni, Landon ’81 and Philip ’82, and a daughter, Dale.

Dr. Banfield spent more years at Landon than any graduate. He entered in first grade, when the school briefly took students in first, second, and third grades. On the athletic field, he distinguished himself by excelling in football, basketball, and baseball. He captained the football team in his senior year and was a starter on the basketball team. He was an enthusiastic supporter of many programs at Landon, but when asked about his favorite, he would always answer that it was the Shrimp Bowl game. He felt that it was a great equalizer where boys from varied backgrounds were all the same on the football field.

Throughout his life, he remained active in the affairs of the school his uncle and aunt built. He lived his entire life as a man who embodied all of the characteristics that Landon School most prizes: loyalty, honor, character, commitment, and service. In 2001, just months before he died, the Alumni Association established the W. Landon Banfield ’50 Award for Outstanding Service to Landon, paying tribute to Dr. Banfield’s tireless dedication to the preservation of the Landon tradition and recognizing others who share his love for this School.

Banfield Award Winners

2020 Joseph A. Kenary, Jr. ’82
22019 Stephen L. Gordon, Sr. ’75
2018 George F. Wenchel ’65
2017 Sylvester F. Miniter ’80
2016 Sandy Murray ’63
2015 Marcos S. Williams ’65
2014 Murray S. Simpson ’55
2013 Daniel L. Korengold ’69
2012 Henry Dudley ’66
2011 Wallace F. “Hap” Holladay Jr. ’65

2010 H. Sherman “Tiger” Joyce ’78
2009 Thomas F. Cunningham ’76
2008 Robert Buchanan ’60
2007 John P. Leachman ’69
2006 Knight A. Kiplinger ’65
2005 Russell C. Lindner ’72
2004 Paul B. Kern Jr. ’54
2003 John G. Shooshan ’70
2002 Lawrence L. Lamade ’65
2001 Robinson M. Bordley ’66

Landon will always be a special place for our family. I find myself looking for reasons to return to campus and catch up with people like Steve Sorkin, Rob Bordley, and Bill Zaiser. Landon has done a fantastic job shaping my two boys (’21 and ’22). I look forward to staying connected through the Alumni Board.

- mark knebel '88

Anchor

Alumni Board

The purpose of the Landon School Alumni Association is to engage the alumni in meaningful ways, provide opportunities for alumni to connect to Landon and one another, and invest broadly in Landon and its future. Please see the profiles below to learn more about the current members of the Alumni Board.

Alumni Board Nominations

Cameron Coursen ’99 - President

Andy Goldstein ’04 - Vice President

Stephen L. Gordon Jr. ’07 - Secretary/Treasurer

Dr. Riazz N. Alie ’01

Ali Al-Attar ’91

Nick Barquin ’97

Ty Blue Jr. ’10

Christopher D. Connor ’78

Robert Fogarty Jr. ’00