This blog was originally published on November 28, 2014. On May 27, 1942, the first of seven documentary films, Prelude to War, was released. This documentary series, Why We Fight, was commissioned by the United States Army. In a letter to President Roosevelt, General Marshall states the films would “replace the series of lectures given […]
In light of the devastation caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma and the growing visibility through partnerships with other large organizations such as Walmart, the National Football League and ESPN, the American Red Cross is working hard to provide disaster relief. General Marshall served as president of the Red Cross from October 1949 to Sept […]
This post was originally published on August 5, 2016. The staff at the Foundation would like to share some of their favorite books about Marshall with you: Cathy DeSilvey, Director of Museum Operations Selected Speeches and Statements of General of the Army George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, United States Army – Edited by Major […]
This post was originally published on July 8, 2016. According to the U.S. National Park Service, there are conflicting views as to the origin of the name Fire Island. The island may have been named after Fire Island Inlet, which appeared on a deed in 1789, and the inlet’s name may have started as a […]
This blog was originally published on June 26, 2015. Fifty-five years ago next week during a quiet ceremony that formally transferred a facility from the military to a civilian agency, the United States Army Ballistic Missile Agency began operating as the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. What caused this transfer and why name it […]
This past Monday the Marshall Museum was open with free admission to celebrate the famous speech given by Marshall at Harvard University seventy years ago. To continue that celebration a selection of Marshall Plan photographs from a unique collection are now available to view online. The collection was received in April of 2015 and it […]
This blog was originally published on March 13, 2015. When Massachusetts representative, Edith Nourse Rogers, introduced a bill in May 1941 to establish a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps for Service with the Army of the United States she set into motion a series of events that transformed the role of women in military service. (HR […]
In Winchester, Virginia this week, the 90th annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is in full swing. The festival that celebrates the arrival of spring and the pink-and-white apple blossoms started in 1924 as a one-day event and, except for the war years 1942-1945, has been held every year since then. It is one of the […]
Seventy-five years ago this week, the Stars and Stripes newspaper had its second renaissance. The first paper with the name Stars and Stripes was started by a Union soldier during the Civil War in 1861. The Union army captured a newspaper plant in Missouri and produced only 4 papers. The newspaper was again revived during […]
During the first Easter celebrated after the United States’ entrance into the second world war, Marshall found himself in Bermuda after engine failure delayed his flight to London. He recalls the event in a letter to Brigadier General Miller: I have a very vivid recollection of that Easter Service a year ago. It was most […]
One of the goals of the Marshall Legacy Series is to create events centered on key themes that are engaging for visitors of all ages. This past month, two such events brought many to the Foundation. On Saturday March 18th, 25 children, along with their family and friends, filled the lobby of the Marshall Museum […]
When the nurses in the South Pacific awoke on December 8, 1941, their commanders began issuing them steel helmets and gas masks. The once-coveted assignment to the Philippines became one of waiting and preparing for what they believed to be Japan’s next attack. They were right. The Japanese continued their advancements, and the nurses were […]
What do Pokemon, board games and wizards have to do with George C. Marshall? Come to the monthly Discovery Days at the Marshall Museum to find out. Each month has a new theme that combines Marshall, science, history, art, games and fun into a two hour time slot, one Saturday each month. Join us on […]
International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th commemorates the victims of the Holocaust during World War II. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 during a special session that marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops. After liberation, displaced persons camps […]
Each year Time magazine publishes a celebratory first issue recognizing a person, movement, or organization that, for better or for worse, has done the most to influence the events of the previous year. Over the past two years we have written blogs about Marshall’s 1948 Man of the Year cover for his work on aiding […]
On March 21, 1947 Mrs. Marshall gladly discussed her book Together: Annal of an Army Wife with Odom Fanning of the Atlanta Journal. Mrs. Marshall stated that she wrote the book to give “a picture of General Marshall as a human being, not as a soldier or organizer.” Her press conference won over her listeners […]
This post was originally published on: November 26, 2015 Happy Thanksgiving from the Marshall Foundation! Recent media attention has commended stores for staying closed on Thanksgiving and for promoting time with friends and family. Seventy years ago, economic activity was on the mind of President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1939 he wanted to spur spending and […]
For the past two years, the Marshall Foundation has participated in #VeteransArchives, a Twitter event that shares archival material from veterans as a way to honor their service. This event is happening today on various social media networks. Each hour a new collection will be shared. For those who do not have social media accounts, […]
The photo to the left titled “Private Gets in General’s Hair” ran in the The Montrose Herald, as well as many other American newspapers, in August of 1945. But the man in the photo cutting General Marshall’s hair was not his regular barber. Joseph Abbate, who had been Marshall’s barber since 1939, opened the barber […]
Frank McCarthy was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1912. After graduating from VMI in 1933, McCarthy returned to his alma mater as an instructor and then remained as alumni secretary. In the late 1930s, when Brother Rat, a comedy based rather loosely on life at VMI, became a Broadway success and a popular road show, […]
Ted Ryan, Director of Heritage Communications at Coca-Cola, has managed the historical collections of The Coca-Cola Company since June 1997. He oversees an extensive collection of physical and digital artifacts that showcase the rich history of The Coca-Cola Company. He serves as Project Manager for the program to restore, digitize, and catalog over 25,000 historical […]
The staff at the Foundation would like to share some of their favorite books about Marshall with you: Cathy DeSilvey, Director of Museum Operations Selected Speeches and Statements of General of the Army George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, United States Army – Edited by Major H. A. DeWeerd, 1945 Though there are several biographies […]
The Marshall Museum buzzed with activity this past Saturday. Twenty-seven children, along with their family and friends, filled the lobby and library to take part of the second annual LEGO competition sponsored by the Marshall Foundation. At the start of the competition participants received a tour of the temporary museum exhibition “From Machine to Man.” […]
According to the U.S. National Park Service, there are conflicting views as to the origin of the name Fire Island. The island may have been named after Fire Island Inlet, which appeared on a deed in 1789, and the inlet’s name may have started as a simple spelling error. Under another hypothesis, the name originates […]
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) prepares college students to be commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces. The Army ROTC, as it exists today, began with President Wilson’s signing the National Defense Act of 1916. There are three types of ROTC programs. The first type includes programs at the six senior military colleges, […]
Last evening, Dr. John Maass, a historian with the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C. talked about Marshall’s time at Fort Benning during the late 1920s. John R. Maass, Ph.D., received his doctorate in early American history from Ohio State University where he also studied military history and Native American history. A […]
May is National Photography Month. It was officially recognized by Congress in 1987 as a month-long event, and the American Photography Association is one of the primary organizations continuing the tradition. Throughout the country, this month is marked by photography contests, festivals, exhibits, and other activities. This month we are highlighting a special photography collection […]
Recently museum and library staff came upon Marshall’s Officer’s Pay Data Card from 1945. It was a form (WD AGO 77) on which all information relative to the individual officer’s pay and allowance, length of service and deductions and allotments was kept. This is different from a pay voucher, and it was required to be […]
Ireland and Britain have had a very rocky past for the better part of their shared history. This did not change during World War II. Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, took up arms in its defense. While many of Ireland’s men crossed the border into Northern Ireland and volunteered to serve with […]
“I have said or pointed out on a number of occasions the tremendous importance of food. Because when hunger and illness invade the home men will accept almost any cure that is proposed at the moment. Anything is better than the existing circumstance and you have the ripest possible field for demagogic, audacious or calculated […]
What do Minecraft, marshmallow catapults, zombies and wizards have to do with George C. Marshall? Come to the monthly Discovery Days at the Marshall Museum to find out. Each month has a new theme that combines Marshall, science, history, art, games and fun into a two hour time slot, one Saturday each month. Join us […]
Originally published on February 13, 2015 This weekend many people will celebrate the sentimental holiday of Valentine’s Day. Sentimental isn’t a word that is often used to describe George C. Marshall, but glimpses of his romantic side appear in correspondence with his first wife, Elizabeth “Lily” Carter Coles. According to Marshall’s sister, Marie Louise Singer, […]
Each year Time magazine publishes a celebratory first issue recognizing a person, movement, or organization that, for better or for worse, has done the most to influence the events of the previous year. In 2015 Time honored Angela Merkel, the first woman Chancellor of Germany. The refugee and migrant crisis of 2015 challenged Europe’s principle […]
Happy New Year from the staff of the Marshall Foundation! 2015 was a wonderful year, full of new events and programming. 2016 is shaping up to be even better! Join us on January 20, 2016 for special presentation “A Debt to Democracy and a Date with Destiny: The Women’s Army Corps and Its Legacy” by […]
Wishing you Peace & Happiness this Holiday Season. From the staff of the George C. Marshall Foundation.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Marshall Foundation! Recent media attention has commended stores for staying closed on Thanksgiving and for promoting time with friends and family. Seventy years ago, economic activity was on the mind of President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1939 he wanted to spur spending and moved the Thanksgiving celebration up a week to extend […]
The Marshall Foundation is expanding access to its vast collections through digital technologies. As a part of the effort to bring Marshall’s legacy online, the Foundation has created the Digital Lab. Housed in the library, the Digital Lab is a dedicated space for digitization projects. The lab brings together both new and old technologies that […]
Stamps, often considered miniature works of art, have been issued by world postal services since 1840. October is National Stamp Collecting month. It began in 1981 as a joint venture between the United States Postal Service and the Council of Philatelic Organizations. The Postal Service continues to promote National Stamp Collecting Month and stamp collecting […]
Recent headlines include “10th Mountain Division Gets First Female Brigadier,” “Two women graduate from Army Ranger Course,” and “Navy SEALs set to open to women, top admiral says.” What, if anything, does this have to do with George C. Marshall? Marshall’s concern for women in uniform was the impetus behind the federal organization that still […]
Reading a great biography allows a reader to stand on the shoulders of giants. George C. Marshall was one such giant. His character defined him as someone who could be trusted by colleagues, subordinates and superiors. It was one reason why Congress supported his many requests for funding and superiors listened to his thoughtful, yet strong, […]
Manuel Bromberg was born in 1917 in Centerville, Iowa. When he was two, he moved with his mother and older brother to Cleveland, Ohio. At age 10 he started taking morning art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. At age 16, Bromberg was the winner of the George Bellows Award, a national art competition […]
The young George C. Marshall was not a very good student. He said that his “school teachers bored him to death with dates and dry facts, even regarding as fascinating and unique a character as Benjamin Franklin.” Later he said he “came to realize the tremendous importance of a knowledge of world history to the […]
Fifty-five years ago next week during a quiet ceremony that formally transferred a facility from the military to a civilian agency, the United States Army Ballistic Missile Agency began operating as the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. What caused this transfer and why name it after an Army general if it was no longer […]
This past Monday our nation celebrated Memorial Day, a national holiday that honors those men and women who have died while in service of our country. One such serviceman was Allen Tupper Brown, the stepson of General George C. Marshall. When Allen was twelve, his mother, Katherine had invited Colonel Marshall to visit them at […]
Oveta Culp Hobby learned about service to community and government from her family. She watched her mother collect food and clothing for the poor and was often sent to deliver baskets of goods to neighbors. From her father she acquired a love of the law and the workings of government. As a child she would […]
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. During the month many institutions pay tribute to the generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history. One such American was Richard C. Wing. Wing was a sergeant in the United States Army and became General George C. Marshall’s cook and orderly at Fort Myer, Virginia […]
It’s the beginning of a new era at the Marshall Foundation. In the past decade, the staff at the library and archives has digitized many of the collections housed here in Lexington to perpetuate the legacy of George C. Marshall by offering our resources to the world. Yesterday, for the first time, we broadcast live […]
Administrative Professionals’ Day, also known as Secretary’s Day, will be celebrated on April 22nd this year. It’s observed to recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionist and other administrative support professionals. Shortly before the first celebration of this non-official holiday in 1952, Mildred K. Carlson was George C. Marshall’s secretary. She served as his […]
President Truman signed the Economic Assistance Act on April 3, 1948 to help the nations of Europe recover after the devastation of World War II. A quick Google search for “Marshall Plan” will result in the facts and figures relating to the legislation surrounding the European Recovery Program. Mentioned frequently are the Marshall Plan speech […]
When Massachusetts representative, Edith Nourse Rogers, introduced a bill in 1941 to establish a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps for Service with the Army of the United States she set into motion a series of events that transformed the role of women in military service. (HR 4906, 77th Congress, 1st session) Rogers had served in the […]
This weekend many people will celebrate the sentimental holiday of Valentine’s Day. Sentimental isn’t a word that is often used to describe George C. Marshall, but glimpses of his romantic side appear in correspondence with his first wife, Elizabeth “Lily” Carter Coles. According to Marshall’s sister, Marie Louise Singer, George didn’t have many girls before […]
The new year often brings resolutions. Many resolve to exercise more, eat better and become better stewards of their finances. There are also a few, like Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg, who aim to read more in 2015. General Marshall would approve of that resolution. He was a student of history and recognized the vital importance of […]
Each year Time magazine publishes a celebratory first issue recognizing a person, movement, or organization that, for better or for worse, has done the most to influence the events of the previous year. In January 1948, Time gave the honor of “Man of Year” to George C. Marshall for giving “hope for those who needed […]
As early as 1934 Army Signal Corps cryptanalysts were deciphering certain Japanese diplomatic codes—a process which was given the code name MAGIC. These diplomatic codes were transmitted on a machine, known to U.S. cryptographers as PURPLE. The PURPLE machine consisted of two electronic typewriters separated by a plugboard and a box that contained the encryption […]
On May 27, 1942, the first of seven documentary films, Prelude to War, was released. This documentary series, Why We Fight, was commissioned by the United States Army. In a letter to President Roosevelt, General Marshall states the films would “replace the series of lectures given newly inducted soldiers as to why we are in the […]
Next week the movie Imitation Game will be released. British mathematician, logician and cryptanalyst Alan Turing was a key figure in cracking the code used by Nazi Germany that helped the Allies win World War II. The British-American movie stars Benedict Cumberbatch, as Turing and Keira Knightley, as Joan Clarke, Turing’s fiancé and fellow code […]
In the fall of 1950, the Intra-European Cooperation for a Better Standard of Living Poster Contest was held throughout Europe whereby artists were encouraged to submit posters that represented the theme of cooperation and economic recovery. Over 10,000 pieces were submitted from various countries. A panel of twelve graphic artists, each representing a different Marshall […]
In 2001, Senator Orrin Hatch (Utah) introduced a resolution to Congress that designated October as Family History Month. He stated “by searching for our roots, we come closer together as a human family.” The Foundation holds quite a few collections that relate to the Marshall family and its history. A few are highlighted below: Stuart B. Marshall […]
October is American Archives Month. Celebrations this month at archival institutions across the country serve as reminders that archives are important because they are the memory banks of reliable information.View the video for a behind-the-scenes look at the Foundation’s archives. What is an archive? An archive is a place where people find information, usually primary […]
Despite having no congressional resolutions or presidential proclamations, September 25th is considered National Comic Book Day. Comic books have been enjoyed as far back as the late 18th century. These early comics featured Japanese Toba-e style prints that were bound in an accordion-style book. Comic books have remained popular because they tell an ongoing story, provide […]
Paris has acquired a reputation as the “City of Art.” But as war was declared on September 3, 1939, the Louvre evacuated its collections, sandbagged the larger pieces it couldn’t move and closed for business. In 1940, the invading German forces reopened the museum, but visitors found a mostly empty building. With hope brought by the Allied […]