Landon Young Jones Jr. ’66

Lanny died Aug. 17, 2024, ending a long struggle with health problems.

He came to Princeton from the Saint Louis Country Day School, where he was student council president, vice president of the yearbook, and member of the varsity football, soccer, and track teams.

At Princeton, he majored in English, wrote his thesis on Mark Twain, ate at Colonial Club, and played freshman soccer. He was associate editorial chairman of The Daily Princetonian, an “On the Campus” columnist for Princeton Alumni Weekly, and a University Store trustee.

After graduation Lanny wrote for Time and Life magazines, launching a spectacular journalistic career. From 1969 to 1974 he served as PAW editor, then returned to Time to oversee the launch of People. He served as editor of Money before returning to People as managing editor. Under his leadership, People became one of America’s most successful magazines. Time Inc. honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1980, Lanny published Great Expectations: America and the Baby Boom Generation, the book that added “baby boomer” to the American lexicon. His final book, Celebrity Nation, explored America’s fascination with celebrity and celebrities. Along the way he wrote two volumes on Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Throughout his career, Lanny served as mentor and champion to countless writers and journalists. He taught writing courses at Princeton, Northwestern, and Montana State and served as an informal adviser to PAW, The Daily Princetonian, and the Princeton English department.

Lanny is survived by his wife, Sarah; children Rebecca ’93, Landon III ’97, and Catherine, and their families; and brothers Charles and Byron, and their families. The class sends its condolences to all of them. We share in their grief.