Alumni Awards

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. 

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.