Sowing Seeds of Success with John Elwell ‘60

For more than six decades, John Elwell ’60, P’92 has been sowing seeds—literally and figuratively. As a longtime educator, Elwell has planted knowledge, ideas, and confidence in his students’ minds. More recently, he has been cultivating the soil at Maplecrest Farm, his family farm in West Newbury, Massachusetts. And there’s no doubt that both roles have nurtured growth, development, and lasting impressions.

Elwell started his teaching career in Washington, D.C., at Dunbar High School — the nation’s first public high school for African Americans.

“I tried to meet the needs of every student, which means I ended up turning into an individualized teacher in some ways,” he recalls of getting his feet wet as a math teacher. “I would find out where the kids were and try to take them from that point.” 

The approach came naturally for Elwell, who had that same kind of experience as a student at The Governor’s Academy. “I had a lot of excellent teachers who would meet us where we were and accommodate us,” he says, glancing at his yearbook to recall some of the names. “Buster Navins '31, William Sperry P'08,'83, David William '36. For a lot of teachers, rather than lecture time, it was interactive time: sharing and exploring ideas. That was really a creative way to get us engaged, and I was able to carry that forth when I went into education.”

During Elwell’s tenure at Dunbar, which lasted 11 years until 1976, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. He vividly recalls what happened the following day at school.

“Some of my students became concerned for my safety as a white man and promised to look out for me. I remember one day, after riots broke out, they walked me to my car to make sure I got there safely. I wasn’t afraid, but they were.”  

Moments like these were as much a learning experience for Elwell as for his students. “It was wonderful getting to work with the students. They really helped me understand more about their experiences, and I was able to be supportive of them.”

When Elwell, a Byfield, Massachusetts native, decided to move back north, he landed a job teaching math at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. He laughs as he recalls one of his last conversations before leaving the D.C. public school systems. “The superintendent said, I had you pegged as an administrator, and I said, Oh, I don’t think so. Three years later at Hamilton-Wenham, I was the assistant principal.”

He went on to become the school’s principal, a role he would hold for 19 years. After “retiring,” he spent two years in what was supposed to be a six-month interim principal role at Newburyport High School and later joined the JustASK training program to serve as a mentor for principals in New England, New York, and Washington. His advice to them: “Don’t seem to have all the answers. Listen to other people and what they have to offer you.”

Elwell adds that sometimes, listening happens in the principal’s office and in the hallways between classes. “It was important to know what the students were talking about, what mattered to them. In the end, it’s about being committed to doing the best you can for the kids. And to see them grow and develop is just fantastic.”

“Grow and develop” is something that would also inform the next chapter of Elwell’s life. In the late 1990s, he and his wife Carol, also a retired educator, took over his grandfather’s farm. Set on 32 acres in West Newbury, Massachusetts, Maple Crest Farm has been operating for 108 years. Today, primary crops include Christmas trees, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins, and gourds. Approximately 1,000 seedling trees are planted annually, which keeps Elwell busy—and happy. 

“Sustainability is important and, for me, comes in two forms: current and future,” says Elwell, who serves on the board of the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards (ACES), an organization dedicated to fostering a healthier planet for future generations. “For every one tree cut down, we plant at least two, and we use composting leaves from area towns. Supporting local agriculture reduces transportation emissions from harvesting and transporting trees from elsewhere.” 

Elwell’s work with ACES brings him back to The Governor's Academy, as the organization has partnered with Erika Mitkus, director of the Bass Institute, to work with the school’s Environmental Club and the Govs Green Initiative.   

And if planting season doesn’t keep him busy enough, Elwell hosts two local schools at the farm. Students from River Valley Charter School in Newburyport come to learn about agriculture, farming, soil, fertilizer, and trees. Heartwood Nature School students, ranging from ages three to six, learn about wild animals, bugs, trees, and plants. They even have a yurt on-site. 

“The education is still in me,” Elwell says, smiling. “It’s so great to see the kids. There must be 30 or so, and I’m Farmer John to all of them. 

That sense of community is something Elwell values. The farm is a valued holiday tradition for New England families to cut down the perfect Christmas tree and sip hot cocoa. The summer attracts visitors to pick their own berries. And fall is filled with pumpkin picking and hayrides. Elwell even hosts his Govs classmates for a picnic when they visit the area for Reunion.

“Community is important because that’s what protects us, that’s what enables us to become better,” he says. “The more that people communicate and support each other, the more that we keep our communities safe and orderly—and positive and friendly.”

Some of his belief in the power of community, he says, comes from his time at Govs. “I came from a family where my father was a factory worker at GE, and my mother stayed home. When I got to Govs, it was a little bit of a challenge because some of my classmates came from wealthy homes. But it enabled me to appreciate the different types of people you run into. It was an eye-opener and broadened my views, experiences, and senses.”

Elwell is grateful that his daughter, Erin Elwell Rich '92, who received the Academy Prize in 1992, got to experience it, too. And as for the Class of 1960, Elwell is making sure they stay connected. He is a longstanding class secretary, gathering material for the school’s beloved alumni Class Notes for Governor's: The Archon Magazine. “I bug the heck out of classmates to give me updates on what they’re doing and where they are,” he laughs. “Even more so now, I value the times we can get together and connect.”

Orinialy published by The Governers Academy on March 27, 2025. 

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