George Marshall’s Virginia Roots

Although he was a native of Pennsylvania, George C. Marshall was very proud of his Virginia roots. He was a distant relative of Chief Justice John Marshall and traced other family connections to the commonwealth. A 1901 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Marshall's first wife, Lily Coles, lived just beyond the limits gates at VMI. In one of the few examples in his life when he broke the rules, Marshall "ran the block"(left the barracks at unauthorized times), risking certain demotion and possible expulsion, to visit Lily.

Marshall lived off and on in Virginia throughout much of his life. During World War II, the general and his second wife, Katherine, moved between their official residence at Fort Meyer and their home, Dodona Manor, in Leesburg. After the war, the Marshalls spent their time at Dodona and at their home in Pinehurst, N.C.

Marshall died on October 16, 1959 following a long period of declining health. He was 78. To commemorate Marshall's life and career, the Marshall Foundation will sponsor a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 16. Following the ceremony at Arlington, the foundation will host a luncheon at the U.S. Department of State at which Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, will speak. Secretary Gates will also receive the George C. Marshall Foundation Award at the luncheon.

On Oct. 23 and 24, the Marshall Foundation and VMI will co-host a symposium, "George C. Marshall: Servant of the American Nation." Among the featured speakers at the symposium is Josiah Bunting III, the former superintendent of VMI, who will soon publish a new biography on Marshall. For more information on the symposium, please contact Leigh McFaddin at (540) 463-7103 or .

-- Brian Shaw