Washington, DC - The United States Diplomacy Center, in cooperation with the George C. Marshall Foundation will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Marshall Plan into law with a program at the Center on Tuesday, April 3, at 2:00 p.m.

The program features opening remarks by Dr. Dan Hamilton, the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Benn Steil, senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of recently published The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War. A panel discussion of “Perspectives on the Marshall Plan” will be moderated by Ambassador Thomas Pickering. Panelists include Ambassador Henne Shuwer of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Ambassador Peter Wittig of the Federal Republic of Germany; ambassador David O’Sullivan of the European Union; and Assistant Secretary A. Wess Mitchell of the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

In a June 1947, speech at Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall offered U.S. assistance to a devastated Europe. Marshall enlisted popular and Congressional support for the idea that became informally known as the Marshall Plan. President Truman signed legislation to enact the European Recovery Program on April 3, 1948. This event is part of the George C. Marshall Legacy Series that interprets General Marshall’s legacy through exhibitions, speakers and programs centered on key themes or episodes from his career.

The United States Diplomacy Center, a public-private partnership, is located at the U.S. Department of State. It is dedicated to telling the stories of American diplomacy. It explores U.S. foreign policy issues, introduces the people who conduct diplomacy on behalf of the country, and highlights diplomacy’s historical and contemporary impact on American lives.

The George C. Marshall Center, based in Lexington, Virginia, celebrates a man of towering stature. His characteristics of honesty, integrity, and selfless service stand as shining examples for those who study the past and for those generations to come. The Marshall Foundation is dedicated to celebrating his legacy and inspiring new leaders.