William Weidman Landis (1869-1942)

William Weidman Landis was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania on February 15, 1869, and graduated from the local high school. In 1887, Landis entered Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania as a freshman. While a student, he was a member of the Glee Club, the baseball team, Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and was elected to the Union Philosophical Society. He was also president of his graduating class. In 1891, Landis graduated with a degree in philosophy and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to become a student assistant at Johns Hopkins University.

In 1895, Landis returned to his alma mater as a professor and remained there for the next forty-six years. He taught mathematics, astronomy, and art history, and was also the baseball coach for a time. He also served as dean of the sophomore class. In 1905, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Franklin and Marshall.

Punctuating his long years at the College was his service on the Italian front during the First World War with the Y.M.C.A. For his efforts, the Italian government awarded Landis the honorary rank of major, the Cross of War and the Cross of the Third Army; he was also knighted for his service to that country.

"Docky" Landis taught at the College until the year of his death in 1942; he was seventy-three years old.