News from
George C. Marshall's Dodona Manor
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Fourth of July at Dodona Manor |
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Happy Birthday, America! After a scaled-down Fourth of July celebration in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are excited to announce that acclaimed Marshall scholar David Roll will be joining this year’s festivities at Dodona Manor. Starting at 11:30 a.m., Roll will provide brief remarks from the front porch on how Marshall exemplified the spirit of his country during some of its most trying moments. Guests will hear how Marshall “saved the world twice,” first by securing victory in World War II and again by ensuring peace in Europe through the Marshall Plan.
This free event is open to all. Refreshments, including free ice cream, will be provided. You can learn more about the event on our website.
The Marshall Center will also be participating in the Leesburg Fourth of July parade with the assistance of a local Boy Scout troop, who will accompany a replica of Marshall’s jeep. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Ida Lee Park.
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The Marshall Roses on Display |
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This month, we took the advantage of the warm weather and hosted our second education program for our Katherine Marshall exhibit “Grace & Grit,” featuring the roses that Katherine Marshall planted during her years in Leesburg.
Maintaining Katherine’s legacy by caring for her roses honors the personal and historical significance of these flowers to the Marshall family. On June 13, we highlighted this legacy by hosting Shelly Gaskins, President of the Potomac Rose Society and the principal horticulturist in the Smithsonian Institution’s Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden, for “Roses: Beautiful and Sustainable.” Gaskins gave a brief lecture on the Peace Rose, a varietal named for Katherine during the early years of World War II. She also gave some tips and insights that will help maintain a healthy rose garden.
Visitors gathered on Dodona’s grounds to view Gaskins’ presentation via Zoom, before taking a stroll through the rose gardens with our lead gardener, Jackie Ellis.
We encourage you to drop by and visit Katherine’s flourishing rose garden!
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Ringing in 75 Years of Freedom |
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On June 4th, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands co-hosted an event with the Marshall Center about the history of the Netherlands Carillon and its connection to George Marshall.
A Zoom webinar hosted by the Marshall Center featured remarks given by Dutch Ambassador André Haspels to the United States, as well as short presentations provided by Rachel Thompson and VU Amsterdam Professor Diederik Oostdijk.
Thompson, an acclaimed Marshall historian, opened the program with a brief overview of the Marshall Plan, emphasizing its influence on the economic recovery of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in particular. According to Thompson, Marshall was uniquely situated to institute the European Recovery Plan following the Allied victory, due to his firsthand experience witnessing the devastation wrought by World War I.
The recipient of approximately $14 billion in aid using modern economics, the Netherlands increased productivity and efficiency by investing in new machinery and other engines of recovery. Roads, tunnels and buildings that had been destroyed during the war were rebuilt, providing the infrastructure to advance the nation into an era of peace and prosperity, which it enjoys to this day.
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Oostdijk expanded on this legacy, explaining that the Netherlands decided to gift a carillon, or bell tower, to the United States as a gesture of gratitude for the “75 years of freedom” made possible by the Marshall Plan. After Queen Juliana symbolically presented the carillon to President Truman in 1952, construction began on a permanent carillon adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery. Restoration efforts began in 2019, and in 2021 the new Marshall bell depicting scenes of idyllic Dutch farm life was hoisted into the carillon. |
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Marshall with General Eisenhower in Normandy, France, 1944 |
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June marks two very important dates in the life of George Marshall: one dealing with war and the other with peace.
On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, setting into motion the end of the Axis stranglehold in Europe. Although General Marshall was the most obvious candidate for Supreme Commander of the invasion, he refused to lobby for the position.
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He never gained the celebrity status of leading on the most famous operations in American military history, but his deference to President Roosevelt’s decision for Marshall to remain in Washington speaks volumes. Watch this video to see how this story of humility and self-sacrifice in Marshall’s life unfolded.
Just three years later, on June 5, 1947, Marshall gave the speech that would play a pivotal role in shaping the post-war world order. During a commencement ceremony at Harvard University, Marshall gave voice to the plight of Europe, arguing that the United States had vested political and economic interests in providing assistance to shattered European economies in order to preserve the peace for which so many died.
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Marshall attending the 1947 Harvard University commencement ceremony |
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“Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos,” Marshall declared. “Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist. Such assistance, I am convinced, must not be on a piecemeal basis as various crises develop.” |
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That speech was the opening salvo in the campaign to develop, secure approval and implement the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Center looks forward to commemorating the 75th anniversary of this speech in 2022. |
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Sills and Panes: Window Restoration at Dodona Manor |
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Although Dodona Manor was officially restored 20 years ago, the work of historic preservation is never finished. Keeping the house and grounds as beautiful as the Marshalls knew and loved them requires regular attention and care.
Earlier this month, our maintenance volunteers Larry Messner, Bill Sutton and Tom Watson began undertaking the enormous task of repair and maintenance work on Dodona Manor’s 64 windows, a project that will take well over a year to complete. The lack of proper ventilation in these windows has accelerated the wear and tear on these fragile frames. The volunteers spent hours treating, cleaning, priming, glazing, painting and installing vents in the exterior storm windows. It’s a long, tedious project that still has a ways to go, but they’ve been doing an excellent job. Thank you, Larry, Bill and Tom!
We’re always looking for volunteers with the skills and experience to help us maintain and preserve Dodona Manor. If you would be interested in contributing your time and talent to partner in this work or have someone to recommend, please email us at admin@georgecmarshall.org. We deeply appreciate all that our volunteers have given to the Marshall legacy.
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Leading the Next Generation |
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The Marshall Center stands in the unique position to connect the past with the present by bringing the historic example of General Marshall to bear on contemporary situations. One of the ways we’re helping the next generation make that connection is through our inaugural leadership event.
Five-Star Character: The George C. Marshall Ethical Leadership Conference was created to inspire and develop leaders among rising high school seniors in Loudoun County. Our goal is to give students the opportunity to shape their approach to leadership by drawing on the life of one of the most remarkable and influential leaders in America history.
Using examples from Marshall’s long career of service, participants will learn how to apply these enduring lessons in a modern context. The event will begin with a reception on Friday, August 20, 2021, at Dodona Manor. Sessions on Saturday, August 21, 2021, will be held at the nearby National Conference Center in Leesburg.
If you know students who would be interested in this opportunity, we invite you to share the online application on our website. At its conclusion, attendees will receive a letter of completion, which they can add to their resume for scholarship, college or work applications.
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On the first Wednesday of the month, the Marshall Center hosts a discussion on a book about a foreign policy topic. We have the next three books lined up, and we can't wait to read and discuss them with you.
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August
by William J. Burns
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September
by Ian S. Lustick
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July Foreign Policy Forum:
Emerging Biden Foreign Policy; China to the Fore
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Please join the George C. Marshall International Center (GCMIC) for our next Foreign Policy Forum with former acting CIA director John McLaughlin who will discuss President Biden's emerging foreign policy agenda us. Our host and moderator for the event is Mr. Les Janka, Member of the GCMIC Board of Directors.
This complimentary event takes place on the Zoom meeting platform. Please register in advance.
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The George C. Marshall International Center, Inc. brings to life the timeless values of selfless service and unwavering integrity to develop visionary leaders worldwide.
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The George C. Marshall International Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
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