Honoring the 5th Auxiliary Surgical Group: Dr Calvin PLIMPTON

Amherst Bulletin (MA) - Friday, February 9, 2007

Dr. Calvin Plimpton, former president of Amherst College

AMHERST - Calvin H. Plimpton, 88, physician-educator and former president of Amherst College, died Jan. 30 in Westwood. He died of complications following surgery for a fractured hip.   Dr. Plimpton was born in Boston on Oct. 18, 1918, and grew up in Walpole, just outside of Boston. He was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy, Amherst College, class of 1939 and the Harvard Medical School, class of 1943. He served in Central Europe, 5th Auxiliary Surgical Group during World War II.  He returned to Harvard for a master's in biochemistry, 1947. He also received a doctor of medical science from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, in 1952.  In the course of a long, distinguished career, he piloted three institutions of higher learning through turbulent times and played a pivotal role in directing many others. He was trained as a physician and the first inkling of what he sometimes referred to as his itchy feet occurred when he took a leave from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons to be chairman of the department of medicine at the American University of Beirut, 1957-1959.   He believed that a "doctor tries to educate people to live," and so it was a logical step to become the 13th president of Amherst College, a position he held from 1960 to 1971. In his opening address to the college in September 1960, he charged the students, faculty and guests to "Ask not what Amherst College can do for you, ask what you can do for Amherst College."   Four months later, he was startled to hear President John F. Kennedy use the same turn of phrase in his inaugural address to the nation. When Kennedy came to Amherst for the ground breaking of the Robert Frost Library on Oct. 22, 1963, he asked Kennedy where he had gotten the phrase. Kennedy replied, "I don't know, Cal ... where did you get it?"   While he was at Amherst College, there had been talk among the neighboring four college presidents of jointly founding a fifth, more experimental college. The plans languished until Dr. Plimpton convinced Harold Johnson to donate the initial funding of $6 million and Hampshire College was born.   In 1971, he returned to New York, where he was president of the Downstate Medical School until 1978 and a professor of medicine until 1983. He then spent a year at the National Library of Medicine, working in international affairs.  He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut for 23 years, becoming chairman of the board in 1965. After the then president of the University, Malcolm Kerr, was assassinated outside his campus office in 1984, Plimpton agreed to take over as president. His three years in the position were marked by escalating insecurity and the kidnapping of professors and other Americans. In an attempt to bring stability to the situation, he journeyed to Amman, Jordan, to meet with Yasir Arafat. The meeting occurred on Arafat's turf, and in the middle of the meeting, Dr. Plimpton, ever on the lookout to interject a bit of humor, turned to Arafat and inquired in broken Arabic if there were any thoughts of kidnapping him, to which Arafat replied, with a sly grin, "No, college presidents don't command any ransom." In retelling the story, Dr. Plimpton noted that clearly Arafat had done his homework.  In addition to the American University of Beirut, he was trustee of the World Peace Foundation from 1961 to 1977, director of the Commonwealth Fund from 1962 to 1984, trustee of University of Massachusetts from 1962 to 1969, trustee of Phillips Exeter Academy from 1965 to 1975, president of the board from 1972 to 1979, Harvard University Board of Overseers from 1969 to 1975, Executive Committee from 1969 to 1974, trustee of Long Island University from 1972 to 1980, and a trustee of New York Law School from 1976 to 1984.  He is survived by his wife of 65 years; Ruth Talbot, and four children; David of Brooklyn, N.Y., Polly of Boston, Tom of Leverett, and Edward of Amherst; and seven grandchildren. There will be a memorial service at Amherst College in the spring.