February 1, 2023

Monuments to a Great Leader Servant

Statues of George C. Marshall

As a physical reminder of his long and storied career, George C. Marshall is honored by statuary in many places, both in the United States and overseas. The majority depict Gen. Marshall as Army chief of staff during World War II.

Bust of Gen. George Marshall in the Marshall Foundation Library by 1st Lt. Nison Tregar, reproduced by Russell Fiore in 1967.

 

This bust of Marshall is in the Marshall Foundation Library, and in the gallery at the Foundation. A copy of this bust is also in the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross.

Copy of the Tregar bust in the Marshall Foundation gallery.

 

Although the photo doesn’t indicate the artist, I believe the bust at the Eisenhower Presidential Library is another copy of the Tregar bust.

Marshall Foundation librarian Eugenia Lejeune with bust of Gen. George Marshall at the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, KS.

 

The dedication of the Marshall Space Flight Center on Sep. 8, 1960, featured the unveiling of a bust of Marshall by President Dwight Eisenhower and Katherine Marshall.

Unveiling of a bust of George Marshall at the Marshall Space Flight Center dedication in Huntsville, AL.

 

Although the original building no longer stands, the new headquarters building still displays the Marshall bust.

Bust of George Marshall in the new headquarters building at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Shannon Segovia photo

 

Unsurprisingly, there are statues of Marshall in his hometown of Uniontown, PA.

Equestrian statue of Gen. George Marshall and his faithful dog, Fleet.

 

This equestrian statue by artist Alan Cottrill was modeled from a photo of Marshall riding near his home at Fort Myer, VA, during World War II.

Gen. George Marshall riding at Fort Myer, VA, with his dog, Fleet.

 

This statue, at a park in Uniontown, is more at ease. I think they need to place a statue of Katherine next to him.

Resting statue in Uniontown, PA.

 

This casually depicted statue of Marshall is at Dodona Manor, his home in Leesburg, VA. It was created by Russell Fiore, who did the recreations of the Trager bust.

Statue of George Marshall at his home, Dodona Manor, in Leesburg, VA.

 

There is a statue of Marshall by Augusto Bozzano in front of the barracks arch at the Virginia Military Institute that bears his name. Marshall’s friend Frank McCarty, of the General Headquarters Secretariat during World War II and producer of the movie Patton, helped spearhead the campaign for this statue, which was dedicated in 1978.

Gen. George Marshall statue at the Virginia Military Institute, his alma mater.

 

The Marshall Foundation has a miniature of the Bozzano statue in the lobby of its building.

Statue of Gen. George Marshall by Augusto Bozzano in the Marshall Foundation lobby.

 

Not all of the statuary of Marshall is in the United States. This depiction of Marshall walking, by Bavarian artist Christiane Horn, was unveiled during a dedication ceremony April 30, 1998 at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Walking statue of Gen. George Marshall in Germany

 

This statue by Asbjørn Høglund in Oslo, Norway, is a bit different. It is Marshall,  not very distinctly carved but more representational.

Statue of George Marshall in Oslo, Norway.

 

This statue of Secretary of State George Marshall is at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece. The statue was a gift from the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association in 2000. That’s Marshall Foundation Scholar and VMI Cadet Chris Cocoris standing in front of the statue on a visit to the Embassy.

Statue of Secretary of State George Marshall at the U.S. Embassy at Athens, Greece. Photo courtesy of Cadet Chris Cocoris.

 

At one point, Marshall sat for photos and measurements, apparently in preparation for a painting, statue or bust, but I’m not sure for which, or if they were ever used.

Photograph for an artist’s measurements.

 

Profile of Marshall for artist measurements.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this virtual tour of George Marshall statuary.

Melissa has been at GCMF since fall 2019, and previously was an academic librarian specializing in history. She and her husband, John, have three grown children, and live in Rockbridge County with two large rescue dogs. Keep up with her @MelissasLibrary.