Spring 2007 - Milton Academy

Oakes Ames Plimpton working in his cabbage patchally with my son, but I gave up the game of squash, whichFrank Millet taught me at the Milton Club. Did I ever beathim? I can’t remember. So there are memory gaps.I remember becoming first interested in politics my firstyear at Milton with the headline, “Mayor Curley in Jail!”Later, my schoolmates and I were graced with talks byJohn F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. The first was aboutthe war and PT boats, and the latter was about being districtattorney. Ted Kennedy was in our class; he ran the campaignof Ed Reed for President in our school mock elections.Joe Kennedy, their father, gave our commencementaddress, but I recall his talk not quite measuring up to thepower of his sons’. Other visitors included Dame MyraHess, who played a piano concert in the library. T. S. Eliot,who attended Milton for one postgraduate year, was a visitinglecturer. I cannot remember the content of his talk, butI do remember the anomaly of our literary headmaster,Arthur B. Perry, leading a Milton cheer for him.So many vivid memories to share of my Milton days. Icould go on.Oakes Ames Plimpton ’50Oakes is retired and living in Arlington, Massachusetts. As heexplains, the “back-to-the-earth movement of the 1970s inspired[him] to join an organic communal farm,” and he has followedfarming since. He now manages the Arlington Farmers’ Marketand coordinates the Boston Area Farm Gleaning Project. Hehas self-published a book about the farms and farmers thatattend the Arlington Market, and is working on the third editionof Robbins Farm Park: A Local History. He is married toPat Magee, a Drumlin Farm teacher-naturalist, and has a son,Robin. Reach Oakes at plimag@rcn.com.43 Milton Magazine