People from McLean, Virginia

People from America are Americans; from France they are French; Switzerland, Swiss; and Greece, Greek. So, if you're native to McLean, you're and American, a Virginian, and a McLeanite? McLench? That sounds like something from the Golden Arches that I'd be a bit afraid of....so, I ask, what shall we call ourselves? Has anyone previously decided? Has the Washington Post had a contest to name the inhabitants of McLean? I think not. It would have been a good idea, but we've beaten them to the punch!! Let's declare ourselves (those of us who are from McLean of the 50s and 60s) the Board of Naming for the townsfolk of McLean and decide on a name for ourselves.

What does it take to decide how one should address a group of people? I'm sure there are some "Robert's Rules of Naming" that should be followed, but since I don't have a copy of that surely officially documented guideline, let's establish our own rules and thus the title by which we want to be called as a people.

First, our group name should be derived from the town name of McLean. Seems pretty obvious. Second, our name should be derived from the town name of McLean. And Third, you guessed it, our name should be derived from the town name of McLean. It's the old rule in real estate - location, location, location. Is there really any other criteria which we should consider in this momentous naming decision? Do we need to know of the history, geography, or demographics of the area?

Maybe a little background won't distract us from our deliberations.

McLean, according to most accounts I've read, was named for John Roll McLean, former owner and publisher of the Washington Post. He was also one of the principals in the development of the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railway, probably better known to most of us as the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD).

There are the Great Falls, Chain Bridge, Langley, Chesterbrook, Lewinsville, and Churchill. There is Georgetown Pike, Old Dominion Drive, the George Washington Parkway and Dolly Madison Blvd.

We have schools named for American poets like James Fenimore Cooper and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. We called these Intermediate schools, but now I think they call them Middle schools.

There is the Potomac River, Tyson's Corner, Potomac Hills, McLean Hamlet, Franklin Sherman, Salona Village, Kent Gardens and Chesterbrook Woods. We have a nearby airport named for John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State under President Eisenhower. And let's not forget the famous families - the Kennedys, the Mars family, and Marjorie Merriweather Post of cereal fame.

I'm sure that I have not named all the people and places of McLean....I have to leave something for you to send me...let me know if I've left out your favorite.

That's a lot of "Names" of people and places, but do any of them deserve consideration in the name of the people of McLean? Except for John McLean, I doubt it, but it was a fun diversion to let me ponder the possibilities for our peoples' title.

I'm going to offer some possibilities, but please make me an offer I can't refuse. Maybe one of the 3 of you reading this will have scholarly knowledge of the subject and can educate us. Until then, here are some choices:

1. McLeanites


2. McLeanians


3. McLench


4. McLensh


5. McLenities


6. McLenish

Have fun and send me the winning (not listed above) entry...I'll find some kind of appropriate prize...maybe I'll send you one of my vintage postcards of Evan's Farm Inn.

'Til then, keep sending in your favorite Memories of McLean.