George C. Marshall

1880-12-31 - 1959-10-16 Contemporaries

George C. Marshall (1880-1959) was an American military officer and diplomat who became Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, then served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under Truman. As Secretary of State he advocated the post-war European recovery program known as the Marshall Plan, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.