More than a Speech: Celebrating the Moment that Sparked the Marshall Plan

British ambassador Karen Pierce

On June 5, 1947, while delivering the graduation address at Harvard University, U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall made the case for massive American investment in the devastated economies of post-World War II Europe.

On Sunday, 75 years later, a crowd gathered on the lawn of his Leesburg home, Dodona Manor, to reflect on the legacy of the European Recovery Program, best known as the Marshall Plan and for which the retired Army General was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Speakers during the program, organized by the George C. Marshall International Center, highlighted the plan’s success at rebuilding Europe’s economy and creating a foundation of cooperation among the participating nations—including the establishment of strong economic ties to the U.S.—that continue today, while promoting American values of freedom and keeping Soviet expansion in check.