Holly and Jack Leachman '69, P' 94 P'95, GP'30 make transformational gift

 Jack, the second of four generations of Leachman boys to attend the School, has fond memories of Landon. “I started as a fourth grader, and I had a wonderful experience,” Jack says. “I’ve been the class agent for about 40 years, and my classmates have remained my best friends to this day.” 

Having put both of their sons through Landon, Holly saw firsthand the transformative experience Landon offers. “I saw that my boys were so joyful and motivated,” she explains. “I wanted to give back to the School that was making my sons so happy, so I volunteered as a room mother and joined many committees, like the Azalea Festival.” Both of their sons, Penn ’94 and Jamie ’95, went on to graduate from UVA. Penn, who coached varsity lacrosse at Landon for over 20 years and is now a father of three boys, is excited that his eldest son has started at the School this year.

Looking back at his own experience at Landon and that of his sons, Jack was inspired by the School’s growth and its continued commitment to its students. “Their experience was better than I could’ve imagined. I think Landon has become a more well-rounded place than it was when I was a student, not just strong in academics and athletics. They have an incredible arts program that has flourished, and there’s a special niche for every boy to find his place.” 

With their commitment of a seven-figure gift to The Campaign for Landon, Jack and Holly hope they will inspire others to stretch to support the campaign. Jack explains, “I want our gift to motivate others. I was inspired by past donors, like Todd Boehly '91, Syl Miniter '80 and Sam Lehrman P’11 and thought if I were ever in a position to do something like that, I would like to. We have always supported Landon, but never to this degree, and we are very fortunate and happy to do it.” 

Jack, who previously served on Landon’s Board of Trustees, has always promoted estate giving as a way to make a significant gift. Half of the couple’s gift is a bequest that will support the endowment. “I strongly encourage other alumni to include Landon in their estate plans and support the endowment that is so critical to the School’s long-term sustainability.”

Jack and Holly decided they wanted to share the other half of their gift with the School now so they could see its impact on the boys. “In addition to supporting the capital campaign, I wanted to build Landon a modest baseball facility,” Jack says. “Both my father and I played at Landon, and I thought having a baseball facility that the boys would be proud of would mean a lot to them. Future upgrades will enhance both the viewing and playing experience for baseball. The gift for the baseball program will honor my father, John P. Leachman Sr. '45. 

Jack and Holly credit the success of the capital campaign to the Landon community. “Under the leadership of Jim Neill and the Board of Trustees, we see people graciously giving their time and money to make sure this is the best fundraising effort in the history of Landon, and we are happy to be a part of it.”

If you would like to explore ways to make a transformational gift to The Campaign for Landon, please contact Director of Development Peter J. Gallo, Ph.D., at peter_gallo@landon.net or 301-320-1004.

Pictured at top: Holly and Jack with (from left to right) Luke, Jackson '30, and Palmer Leachman

Pictured below: Jack '69, Jackson '30, and Penn '94 Leachman