U.S. Army Five-Star Generals

George Catlett Marshall

  • born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on 31 December 1880
  • graduated from Virginia Military Institute, 1901
  • married Elizabeth Carter Cole, 1902 (deceased 1927)
  • was commissioned a second lieutenant, February 1902, and served with the 30th Infantry in the Philippines, 1902-1903, and at Fort Reno, 1903-1906
  • was promoted to first lieutenant, March 1907
  • at Fort Leavenworth, graduated from the Infantry and Cavalry School(1907) and was a student (1908) and instructor (1908-1910) at the Staff College
  • was inspector-instructor of the Massachusetts National Guard, 1911-1912, then served with the 4th Infantry at Forts Logan H. Roots and Crocket, and the 13th Infantry in the Philippines, 1913-1916
  • was promoted to captain, July 1917, and then to temporary major, August 1917, lieutenant colonel, January 1918, and colonel, August 1918
  • served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France as operations officer of the 1st Division and the First Army, and chief of staff of the VIII Corps, 1917-1918, participating in the Cantigny, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne operations
  • was aide to General John J. Pershing, 1919-1924
  • was promoted to permanent major, July 1920, and lieutenant colonel, August 1923
  • commanded the 15th Infantry in China, 1924-1927
  • was instructor at the Army War College, 1927, and assistant commandant of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, 1927-1932
  • married Katherine Boyce Tupper Brown, 1930
  • was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 8th Infantry at Fort Screven, September 1933
  • was senior instructor of the Illinois National Guard, 1933-1936
  • was promoted to brigadier general, October 1936, and was commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade, 1936-1938
  • was head of the War Plans Division, General Staff, 1938
  • was deputy chief of staff, 1938-1939, and acting chief, July-September 1939
  • was promoted to major general and immediately full general, September 1939
  • was Chief of Staff of the United States Army, 1 September 1939-18 November 1945
  • centralized the professional leadership of the Army in the Chief of Staff's office
  • exercised control over mobilization, staff planning, industrial conversion, and personnel requirements
  • streamlined administration and tactical organization
  • mastered grand strategy and was the principal American military architect of Allied victory
  • was promoted to temporary grade of General of the Army, December 1944 (made permanent retroactively in April 1946)
  • was special representative of the president to China, 1945-1947
  • retired from active service February 1947
  • was Secretary of State, 21 January 1947-21 January 1949
  • was the architect of the Marshall Plan to aid European nations, April 1948
  • was restored to the active list, March 1949
  • was president of the American Red Cross, 1949-1950
  • was Secretary of Defense, 12 September 1950-12 September 1951
  • received the Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan, 1953
  • was chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, 1949-1959
  • died in Washington, D.C., on 16 October 1959.