Lexington - George C. Marshall Museum

Ms. Edwards and I stopped by the George C. Marshall Museum at the Virginia Military Institute. The campus is really impressive.

Facts we learned about Marshall.

• Attended the Virginia Military Institute from September 1897 - June 1901.
• Married Elizabeth Coles of Lexington (February 1902)
• Elizabeth Coles Marshall dies (September 15, 1927)
• Married Mrs. Katherine Tupper Brown (October 1930)
• Named Chief of Staff by FDR and during WWII oversaw the largest military expansion in US History
• First American General of the Army to receive a five star rank. (1944)
• Designed Operation Overlord (D-Day)
• Named Man of the Year in 1944.
• Only had 6 days of retirement before he was called back into duty. President Truman sent Marshall to China.
• Became Secretary of State (1947-1949)
• Marshall Plan was put in place to help Europe rebuild.
• Time's Man of the Year in 1948.
• Became Secretary of Defense (1950)
• Received the Noble Peace Prize in 1953 for the Marshall Plan.
• Finally retired in 1951.
• Attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. (1953)
• Died on October 16, 1959. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
  

Below is a picture of the countries that were helped by the Marshall Plan.

The Marshall Plan:

• Officially called the European Recovery Program (ERP)
• Created to foster economic recovery in European coutnries after WWII.
• European countries would decide on their own economic needs and the United States would provide material and financial aid.
• Another goal was to stop the spread of Soviet influence.

Below a picture of the Noble Peace Prize that Marshall received for the Marshall Plan. He received it in 1953.

The Oscar for "Best Picture" for the movie Patton (1970) was in the museum as well. Frank McCarthy one of the producers donated the Oscar to the school that he attended in 1933.