3/20/24, 3:36 PM Sumner Z.

Kaplan - Wikipedia

Sumner Z. Kaplan
Sumner Z. Kaplan (February 3, 1920 – March 20, 2011) was
Sumner Z. Kaplan
an American soldier, politician, and judge. Kaplan served in
the United States Army in World War II, and later continued
to serve in the United States Army Reserve. Kaplan was elected
to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1954, and
left after a failed run for the Massachusetts State Senate. Later
serving in local elected offices in Brookline, Massachusetts, he
was appointed as a judge in 1983, remaining in that position
for ten years.

Early life, education, and military

service
The youngest of three children, Kaplan was born in Roxbury,
Boston on February 3, 1920, and grew up in Dorchester and
Roxbury.[2][3][1] He graduated high school at Boston Latin
School, in 1939.[1] Two years later he graduated from Member of the Massachusetts
Massachusetts State College.[1] During World War II, he House of Representatives
served in the United States Army in the United States Corps of In office
Engineers, eventually being promoted to the rank of colonel.[1] 1954–1962
Succeeded by Michael
Following the war, Kaplan reverted to the rank of lieutenant
Dukakis[1]
colonel in the United States Army Reserve and, in 1962, was
Probate and family court judge
serving in the role of chief of staff with the 94th Infantry
Division.[4] By 1971, he was promoted to brigadier general as In office
he was assigned to become the deputy commanding general of 1983–1993[1]

94th Army Reserve Command.[a][6] In 1974, he authorized the Nominated by Edward J. King[1]
usage of two armored personnel carriers of the 187th Infantry Personal details
Brigade by John Wayne during his 1974 visit to Harvard Born February 3, 1920
Square.[7] Boston,
Massachusetts,
During the War in 1944, he married Eleanor Fisher, whom he
US
met when he was 16 and she was 15.[1] After World War II he
graduated from Harvard Law School, and practiced law.[1] Died March 20, 2011
Eleanor would go on to be an elementary school teacher.[8] In (aged 91)
1982, a daughter of theirs, who worked for Chase Manhattan Boston,
Bank, was married to a Columbia University history Massachusetts,
US
professor.[8]
Political party Democratic

Elected office, legislation, and Military service

judicial service Allegiance United States

Branch/service United States
Army

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In 1954, Kaplan ran for the Massachusetts House of United States

[1]
Representatives for Brookline, and won. While in office he Army Reserve
advocated for legislation for rent control, opposed anti- Years of 1941–????
communism legislation, and opposed the death penalty.[1] service
Eight years later, he unsuccessfully ran for the Massachusetts Rank Brigadier
State Senate, and his House of Representatives seat was filled
General[1]
[1]
by the election of Michael Dukakis. In 1962, Kaplan ran the
unsuccessful senatorial campaign for Edward J. McCormack
Jr.; for this he was not on good terms with Senator Ted Kennedy.[9] He remained active in public
office locally in Brookline, where he served in its town meeting and its select board.[1]

In 1974, his writings on the Israeli Reserves were utilized in a journal article on cadre in reserve
units.[10] Kaplan was also a rabbi, officiating the wedding of the White House speech writer
Richard N. Goodwin in 1975.[11] Kaplan was involved in organizing for pro-Israel demonstrations
in Boston;[11] he would travel to Israel yearly after a partner of his law firm moved there.[1] In 1983,
he was appointed a probate and family court judge by Governor Edward J. King.[1]

Later life and death

Later, Kaplan served as general counsel to Merkert Enterprises of Canton, Massachusetts.[8] In
2004, a successful effort was made to have a park named for him in Brookline, it is located in a
playground.[12] He moved to Jamaica Plain in 2010.[1] He died of heart failure, and lymphoma, on
March 22, 2011, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, at age 91.[1]
Kaplan was interred at Sharon Memorial Park, Massachusetts.[13]

References
1. Marquard, Bryan (April 3, 2011). "Sumner Kaplan, 91, state legislator, judge, selectman" (http://
archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2011/04/03/sumner_kaplan_91_state_legisl
ator_judge_selectman/). The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via
archive.boston.com.
2. Vallance, Karla (March 23, 2011). "Brookline's Sumner Kaplan was Former State
Representative" (https://patch.com/massachusetts/brookline/sumner-kaplan-was-former-state-r
epresentative). Patch.com. Brookline, Massachusetts. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
3. Hayden, Irving N.; Grove, Lawrence R. (1961). "Sumner Zalman Kaplan" (https://upload.wikime
dia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/0/05/20210220171812%211961_Sumner_Kaplan_Massac
husetts_House_of_Representatives.png). Public Officers of Massachusetts 1961-62.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved December 27, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
4. "A Division is Many Men" (https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/433462467/). The Boston
Globe. June 29, 1962. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via newspaper.com. "Gen Galvin surveys
the maneuvers from a helicopter and the staff officers, Chief of Staff Lt Col Sumner Z. Kaplan
of Brook-line, Lt Col Daniel J. Finn of the Back Bay, Lt Col James Chekos of Wakefield and
Brig Gen Costas L. Karagnis of Dracut survey the troops on the ground."
5. "94th Training Division" (https://www.usar.army.mil/Commands/Functional/80th-TNG-CMD/94th
-TD-FS/About-Us/#:~:text=The%20next%20significant%20event%20for,94th%20ARC%20serv
ed%20in%20Vietnam.). United States Army Reserve. Retrieved January 4, 2024. "The next
significant event for the 94th Division occurred in 1967 when the Division was re-designated as
the 94th Army Reserve Command (ARC), headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base,
Massachusetts."

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3/20/24, 3:36 PM Sumner Z. Kaplan - Wikipedia

6. Army Reserve Magazine (https://books.google.com/books?id=etDUYcWBHToC&pg=RA6-PA1

4). Chief, Army Reserve. 1971. p. 6-PA14. Retrieved January 4, 2024. "Colonel Sumner Z.
Kaplan has been assigned as Deputy CG, 94th ARCOM, Boston, Mass. He formerly held the
mobilization designation position as Special Assistant to Dep Asst Secretary of Defense,
Reserve Affairs."
7. Weiss, Philip (January 22, 1974). "Top Pentagon Officials Launch Investigation Of Army's Loan
of Two Tanks to John Wayne" (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1974/1/22/top-pentagon-offi
cials-launch-investigation-of/). The Harvard Crimson. Harvard University. Retrieved January 4,
2024.
8. "Marjorie Kaplan Bride of Professor" (https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/08/style/marjorie-kapla
n-bride-of-professor.html). The New York Times. New York, New York. November 8, 1982.
Retrieved December 26, 2023.
9. Kusmer, Anna (May 9, 2023). "A Personal Reflection: The Year The Kennedys Trounced My
Grandfather" (https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2020-02-04/a-personal-reflection-the-year-th
e-kennedys-trounced-my-grandfather). GBH. Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts. Retrieved
December 27, 2023.
10. Gans, Colonel Daniel (July 1974). "Improving Readiness: Active Army Support of Reserve
Components" (https://books.google.com/books?id=0SDejZd8HUoC&pg=PA89). Military
Review: Professional Journal of the United States Army (https://books.google.com/books?id=0
SDejZd8HUoC). PB (United States. Army). Vol. LIV. Command and General Staff School.
p. 89. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
11. Ivry, Benjamin (May 22, 2018). "Richard Goodwin, Speechwriter For LBJ, JFK and RFK, Dies
At 86" (https://forward.com/culture/401649/richard-goodwin-speechwriter-for-lbj-jfk-and-rfk-dies
-at-86/). The Jewish Daily Forward. The Forward Association, Inc. Retrieved December 26,
2023.
12. Reports of Selectmen and Advisory Committee (https://www.brooklinema.gov/DocumentCente
r/View/4423/November-16-2004-Special-Town-Meeting-Combined-Reports-with-Supplements-
PDF) (Report). Town of Brookline. November 16, 2004. p. 24-1. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
Brookline Conservation Commission (May 2011). Open Spaces 2010 (https://www.brooklinem
a.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2513/Open-Space-Plan-2010-PDF) (Report). Town of Brookline.
p. 94. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
13. "Sumner Kaplan Obituary" (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/sumner-k
aplan-obituary?id=8294209). The Boston Globe. March 24, 2011. Retrieved December 26,
2023 – via Legacy.com.

Notes
a. 94th Army Reserve Command was a re-designation of 94th Infantry Division.[5]

External links
Bryan Marquard. "Judge Sumner Z. Kaplan" (https://brezniakfuneraldirectors.com/obituary-arch
ive/judge-sumner-z-kaplan/). Brezniak Funeral Directors. The Boston Globe.
"Judge Sumner Z. Kaplan Memorial Lecture and Benefit" (https://www.citizensforpublicschools.
org/upcoming-boston-meetings-and-events/judge-sumner-z-kaplan-memorial-lecture-and-bene
fit/). citzensforpublicschools.org. Boston: Citizens for Public Schools. 2012.
"Remembering Sumner Kaplan" (https://www.jewishboston.com/read/remembering-sumner-ka
plan/). Jewish Boston. Combined Jewish Philanthropies. March 31, 2011.

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