News from
George C. Marshall's Dodona Manor
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Brightening the Holidays with History:
Dodona Manor's New Tradition
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While COVID-19 put many people’s December plans on hold, it didn’t keep the George C. Marshall International Center from finding a safe way to brighten Leesburg with holiday cheer. In lieu of our annual holiday open house, GCMIC launched a new tradition: the Marshall Plan Tree Walk. |
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The European Recovery Program was a U.S. effort that supplied nearly $13 billion to rebuild the economic infrastructure in Europe in the wake of World War II. This program became known as the Marshall Plan because of George Marshall’s role in recognizing its potential and persuading Congress and the American people of its importance. Nearly 75 years later, the 17 nations that participated in the program continue to enjoy the peace and prosperity it helped secure for them. |
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To celebrate the success of the Marshall Plan during the holiday season, the grounds of Dodona Manor featured trees decorated to represent each of the Marshall Plan nations. On a cold, rainy Friday morning, volunteers arrived to decorate the 17 trees along the west brick walkway. The following Sunday evening, GCMIC hosted a small tree-lighting ceremony to formally kick off the inaugural Marshall Plan Tree Walk. Board member Bill Stokes began by extending a warm welcome to the guests, including representatives from the embassies of France, Portugal and Luxembourg. After executive director Valérie Beaudoin recognized the event’s sponsors, she invited Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk to lead the countdown. And after calling out 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…the trees were ablaze.
From that night until the end of the month, the glow of the trees invited locals strolling the streets of downtown Leesburg to enjoy the lights and learn a little history along the way. We were delighted by the event’s success, and we look forward to rekindling the tradition next year.
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Mrs. Maryse Wyser-Pratt, Brigadier General Cyril Carcy and Mr. Michael Gauvreau in front of the France tree |
Click here to see time-lapse video |
Consul Stan Myck from the Luxembourg Embassy and his wife Ms. Lilla Schottner in front of their country's tree |
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George C. Marshall Brings HOPE to Leesburg |
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Earlier this year, 95-year-old Phyllis Liedtke of Florida asked her daughter, artist Diane Canney, for an unusual and aspirational birthday present. “For my birthday,” Phyllis said, “I want you to do something about the pandemic.” From this conversation, the idea of the COVID-19 HOPE Quilt project emerged.
The goal of the project is twofold: recognize the heroism of medical workers fighting the virus and honor the memory of those who have been lost to it. To that end, Diane has been collecting quilt panel contributions from around the country to bring together a range of artistic expressions of grief and hope during this challenging and historic time. She displays the panels by mounting them to eight-foot letters that spell out “HOPE” in public locations such as the Lincoln Memorial and National Mall in Washington, DC. After this project has run its course, she plans to sew the panels into quilts to donate to the Smithsonian.
Diane is bringing her historic project to one of Downtown Leesburg’s most cherished historic sites: Dodona Manor. Join us on the grounds Saturday, January 30 at 5:30 P.M. for the grand illumination of this unique documentation of our times. The letters will be on display through February for the public to view and enjoy.
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Coming Soon: The Life and Leadership
of Katherine Tupper Marshall
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What does it take to live in military housing and abroad, to attend and host events with statesmen and diplomats, to balance the hopes and desires of a personal life with the duties and demands of a public one? It takes perseverance, pluck and steadiness, all of which Katherine Tupper Marshall had in abundance.
Katherine’s resilience and tenacity sustained her through multiple life-changing transitions and prepared her for a role on the global stage as the wife of an Army general who oversaw victory in World War II and who shaped the post-war world as a senior diplomat.
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At almost every juncture—from college to career to marriage to motherhood to widowhood to marriage again—she responded to challenges with resiliency and moved forward with energy and optimism. Despite enduring tremendous personal loss, she carried on with poise and purpose. Although she may not have realized it at the time, her constancy through upheaval and uncertainty prepared her to be the companion and confidante of a man with a demanding and often unpredictable career.
Katherine Boyce Tupper was born in 1882 in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. After earning a degree in theater from Hollins College in Virginia in 1904, she went to New York City to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1907, she moved to London, where she joined a professional Shakespeare company. The demands of such an active career took a toll on her health, and she returned to the U.S. to convalesce. She retired from the theater in 1911 to marry Clifton Stevenson Brown, a successful lawyer in Baltimore, Maryland. Their marriage produced three children: Molly, Clifton and Allen. In 1928, a disgruntled client shot and killed Brown, leaving Katherine a widowed mother of three. The following year, she met George C. Marshall in Columbus, Georgia. They were married in October 1930.
We believe that Katherine’s supporting role in Marshall’s life and her own public service efforts deserve more recognition. To that end, GCMIC is preparing an exhibit for spring 2021 to honor the life and work of Katherine Tupper Marshall, including never-before-seen archival photos and objects, informational panels, supporting educational programs and more. Stay tuned for more on this exciting installation.
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Behind Closed Doors: Home Improvement Projects
During the Off-Season
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Dodona Manor may be closing its doors for tours in January and February, but improvements and renovations are underway in the house ahead of its reopening in March. We’re touching up the Haub Exhibit Room for our new exhibit and refinishing the dining room table for our visitors to admire. Stay tuned for before-and-after pictures in next month’s newsletter. |
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Spring Is on the Way: Garden Volunteers Needed |
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It may still be nippy outside, but the winter won’t last for long (thank goodness). As cold, frosty mornings give way to dewy, sunny ones, we’ll need helping hands to bring the garden at Dodona Manor to life again. It was one of General Marshall’s great pleasures to toil in his cherished garden.
We expanded the garden in November, and with more square footage comes more opportunity to help. Starting next month, we will be recruiting new volunteers to add to our gardening team. If you have a green thumb or know someone who does, consider how you might help us keep the garden the Marshalls loved alive and well.
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GCMIC Foreign Policy Book Club:
February, March and More
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On the first Wednesday of the month, GCMIC hosts a discussion on a pre-selected book presenting a foreign policy topic. We have the next four books lined up, and we can't wait to read and discuss them with you.
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February
by Catherine Belton
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GCMIC Foreign Policy Forum:
February Speaker
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Earlier this month, we had the privilege of hearing former Ambassador Barbara K. Bodine discuss rebuilding the American Foreign Service. Join us on Thursday, February 18, from NOON to 1:30 p.m. for our Foreign Policy Forum discussion. This month’s speaker, Shaun Byrnes, will discuss "Russia today." Following his 15-year U.S. naval career in southeast Asia, Mr. Byrnes occupied several senior Foreign Service offices. Most recently, he has served as the chief of U.S. Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission and of U.S. Mission to Montenegro, as well Special Adviser on the Balkans.
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George C. Marshall International Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. |
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