                      General George C. Marshall
                       by Robert E. Shumar, MPS
      (Reprinted by permission of The Philalethes - August 1989)

     George  C. Marshall was born on December 31, 1880, in  Uniontown, 
Pa. at 130 West Main Street. His father George Catlett Sr. rented  the 
two  story brick house from A. W. Boyd which was next to a  family  by 
the name of Gilmore. George Jr. lived all of his boyhood years at this 
house on West Main Street. He had many happy memories here. The  house 
was  situated at the edge of town where an ornamental  bridge  crossed 
over  one of the Monongahela lesser tributaries, called locally  "Coal 
Lick Run."

     visiting Uniontown one would probably feel a great sense of loss. 
Of  the old days there is not a single trace left to look upon.  Where 
George  Jr.  once  lived, there now stands  an  ugly  white  building; 
declaring  the V.F.W. home. There stands a Texaco station close by  to 
where he lived. Just across the street (West Main) from George's  home 
another station stood in part of one of his friend's home by the  name 
of  Thompson, the grandson of J.V. Thompson, a banker who went  on  to 
become very rich.

     George  Catlett Sr., left Augusta, Ky. after trying his  hand  in 
business   ventures  along  the  Ohio  river  which  were  less   than 
successful. While visiting his sister who had married a Union  Colonel 
by the name of John Ewing, who at the time was living near Pittsburgh, 
applied for a job in an iron works in a small town called Dunbar, near 
Uniontown. The town of Dunbar is located along the Youghagheny river.

     George  Sr., after a time working as a clerk, re-entered  business 
with  Arthur Weir Bliss from Alabama. He began making brick  for  coke 
ovens, the beehive ovens used to make coke. Forty beehives were  built 
in Dunbar.

     By  1872, Bliss, Marshall and Company were making seven  thousand 
bricks  a  day. George Catlett Sr., moved from  Dunbar  to  Uniontown, 
where  George Jr. was born. George Catlett Sr. was a member of  Laurel 
Lodge  651,  Uniontown,  Pa., High Priest of Union  Chapter  No.  165, 
R.A.M., and Eminent Commander of Uniontown Commandery No. 49, K.T. all 
of Uniontown, Pa. George's father was a very active Freemason.

     George C. Marshall Jr. attended Virginia Military Institute  from 
1897 to 1901, and Army Staff College, and holds many Honorary  degrees 
from  many  universities and colleges. He was  commissioned  a  Second 
Lieutenant  in  the  Infantry. Marshall advanced  in  rank  to  Major 
General  by  1939. Then to General of the Army in 1944 (5  stars).  He 
served in the Philippines from 1901 to 1902 and also from 1913 to 1916. 
In W.W.I, he served with the AEF, 1917 to 1919, with the 1st  Infantry 
Division, chief of staff, 8th Army Corps, took part in the battles  of 
Cantigny,  Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. He was aide  de-
camp  to General Pershing from 1924 to 1927. Marshall served in  China 
from 1924 to 1927, followed by various stateside commands. He was made 
a four star General in 1939, and also the Chief of Staff. With wisdom, 
tact, and ability he organized the Army of W.W.II. Marshall took  part 
in  the conferences at Casablanca, Quebec, Cairo, and Teheran. He  was 
later  sent to China as a special Envoy, with rank of  ambassador.  As 
Secretary  of  State from 1947 to 1949, he  implemented  the  Marshall 
Plan,  known  as the European Recovery Program. This was  to  aid  the 
European countries following W.W.II. He received the Nobel Peace Prize 
for  this in 1953. On his retirement in 1949, he became  president  of 
the  American Red Cross from 1949 to 1950. In 1950 he was recalled  to 
active  duty  to  serve as Secretary of Defense  and  served  in  that 
capacity until 1951. According to George Catlett Jr's. "Education of a 
General,"  at approximately three o'clock a.m. on September  1,  1939, 
General George C. Marshall took the oath as permanent Major General in 
the  presence of the Adjutant General. With that done he was sworn  in 
as  Chief of Staff (with the temporary rank of four star  general)  to 
support  and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign  and 
domestic.  This was done upon the retirement of General Marlin  Craig. 
For him this was to be the first day of almost continuous concern  for 
the next twelve years. With the exception of General Henry H.  Arnold, 
the then Chief of the Air Corps. General Marshall was the only  member 
of  the  combined American-British directorate to serve in  that  post 
from the beginning to end. Shortly before leaving the post as Chief of 
Staff,  Marshall was at the end of 1945, to go to China on a  fourteen 
month  tour of duty to try and save our wartime ally from anarchy  and 
communist takeover, but without avail. He was then Secretary of  State 
from  1947 to 1949 and had to retire because of a  serious  operation. 
After  a  short rest he was Secretary of Defense from  1950  to  1951. 
Finally  at  the age of seventy he was permitted  to  retire.  General 
George  C.  Marshall, Jr. was made a Mason at sight  on  December  16, 
1941,  by Brother Ara M. Daniels, Grand Master of Masons of the  Grand 
Lodge  of the District of Columbia, in the Scottish Rite Cathedral  of 
the District. Also receiving the degrees at the same time with him was 
Jesse  H.  Jones, the then Secretary of Commerce.  Present  were  many 
distinguished leaders from various states. Brother Carl H. Claudy gave 
the candidates a briefing on Freemasonry at the request of Marshall.
