On June 5, 1947, George Marshall delivered a speech at Harvard University that publicly introduced the most ambitious American foreign policy initiatives of the twentieth century. This speech was the official kick-off of the long campaign to develop, promote and implement the European Recovery Act, which history knows as the Marshall Plan. The influx of American resources to the 17 Marshall Plan nations helped restore their economies… and their confidence. The plan shored up democracy at a time when it seemed in peril, and it shaped the world order we experience today.
The new year marks the 75th anniversary of this seminal moment, the moment when George C. Marshall’s singular skills as an ethical leader both contributed to a plan that would work and generated the broad public and political support it needed to pass Congressional muster. It was his finest hour.
The Marshall Center is dedicated to the proposition that our nation and our world can still benefit from his example. It is in that spirit that we are preparing to dedicate our work in 2022 to “Celebrating 75 Years of the Marshall Plan.”
Stay tuned for the special events we have lined up for this year to celebrate this milestone in Marshall history.
