Frederick J. Platt III – 50th Reunion Essay

Frederick J. Platt III

150 Joshuatown Rd.

Lyme, Connecticut 06371

jitney1@sbcglobal.net

860-434-9746

Spouse(s): Christine (33 years as of 2018)

Child(ren): Liza Taylor Platt (1974), Stepsons: Mark Clearwaters (1969), Jason Clearwaters (1971)

Grandchild(ren): Owen, Cecelia, Darren, and Anneke Clearwaters

Education: The Hill School (’65), Yale, BS (’69)

National Service: Pennsylvania National Guard ’69–’75

Career: Construction management in many forms with an early retirement in order to pursue other interests.

Avocations: Boating, fine woodworking, Artwork, Florence Griswold Museum of American Impressionism, Old Lyme, CT

College: Silliman

Following graduation in ’69, I went through basic training for the National Guard at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. After that, I returned home to marry my college sweetheart and move to Scranton and my family’s electrical supply business. After five years, I saw no future there, so I moved to Connecticut, joined a general contracting firm, and spent the balance of my working career in construction management. I built some beautiful properties and met many interesting clients. My practice marriage ended after 10 years when my college sweetheart replaced me, but I then met and married the wonderful woman who has been my partner for 33 years. We have shared many adventures on land and at sea. Offshore, we enjoyed cruising on our boat(s) throughout New England waters, up and down the East Coast, and through the out islands of the Bahamas. Back on land, we designed and built our home and gardens in Lyme, Connecticut, and on Man-O-War Cay in the Bahamas. During a midlife malfunction, I moved with my family to Boca Raton, Florida, and tried unsuccessfully to adapt to the lifestyle there, working briefly for Burger Boat Co. at Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale. The craziness of south Florida drove us back to Connecticut and to Lyme, where we have remained in a peaceful rural town of 2,000 people, many of whom are friends and neighbors. A daughter, two terrific stepsons, and four grandchildren have certainly added a richness to life.

As an aspiring artist, I enrolled in a fall semester studio painting course at Yale in 2016. It was a wonderful, challenging, and surreal experience being immersed in the student body again after 50 years with 11 undergraduate classmates—a VERY different campus experience from that which we knew. It was during my time there that the Silliman master and spouse were hounded out of the university. I was disappointed to see the extent to which political correctness had (has) taken hold in the Yale community, seemingly obliterating all reasonable discussion. The situation in Silliman and recent policy decisions by Yale make it clear that the institution that we all loved is sliding further and further into a progressive quagmire. Hope it changes course…

Looking back, I was blessed to have terrific roommates for my four years—I couldn’t have asked for a better group of friends! I have happy memories of the four years in New Haven and only regret not taking better advantage of the opportunities provided there. But now, at least, I am only an hour away from the art galleries, an occasional meal at Mory’s, a walk on the cross campus, or a two-hour train ride from The Yale Club in NYC.

My best wishes on this, the 50th, to any who may have taken the time to read this.