Margot Landman, class of 1978
Margot Landman was born in Denver and grew up in New York City, where she attended high school at the Dalton School. After graduating from Brown University in 1978 with an A.B. in Chinese language and history, Landman was among the first Americans invited to teach in China after diplomatic recognition (1979-81). She stayed in China for a third year to continue her Chinese language study and to work at the newly established CBS News bureau in Beijing. Upon her return to the United States, she began working in educational and arts exchange between the U.S.
In Part 1 of this interview, Margot Landman discusses her family background and their influence in her choice of college and major. She goes on to describe her nerve-wracking first day at Brown and her best and worst memories as an undergraduate. She shares memories of the Chinese and Asian history departments at Brown, her extracurricular activities, including work at the Rape Crisis Center the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, and Hillel activities. She also mentions social events she attended.
In Part 2, Landman goes on to talk about her mentors at Brown including Jerry Reader, her thesis advisor, and Bruce Donovan, faculty fellow. She discusses feminism, her search for a job in China, and her experiences as an American abroad in China in 1979. She describes her first job upon her return in union support at Columbia University, and discusses her studies there. She concludes with a quick discussion of her wishes for her personal life for the future at the time of the interview.