The George C. Marshall Foundation recognized two distinguished Americans in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan on November 17, 2022, at a private ceremony in New York City.
Honorees 66th Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Citadel CEO and Founder Kenneth Griffin stand with the Virginia Military Institute Brass and Col. John Brodie.
Dr. Rice delivers remarks upon receiving the 2022 George C. Marshall Foundation Award.
Dr. Rice, the 66th U.S. Secretary of State, received the George C. Marshall Foundation Award. She was recognized for her career of distinguished public service in the tradition of George C. Marshall, for her dignity and integrity, for her commitment to education, and for her devotion to international relations and global peace efforts.
Dr. Rice remarked “We think . . . about what made it possible for Marshall to do what he did. First and foremost, it was the character of the man. It was also the experience of the man with war—to recognize that out of war could come peace, but an understanding that peace had to be just; and if a peace was going to be just, it meant that men and women had to live in freedom, because no one deserved to live in tyranny. . . . to understand that if men and women were to be free, and to have the right to choose those who would govern them, they would expect those who would govern them would also deliver for them. And that was the genius of the Marshall Plan: to help those democracies to get up off the mat, to deliver for their people, and to become strong and vital friends of the United States.”
Mr. Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel, received the George C. Marshall Foundation Humanitarian Award. Mr. Griffin was recognized for his extensive civic and philanthropic work to expand access and opportunity in America, including through efforts to broaden access to high-quality education at every level, advance medical research, reduce recidivism and violent crime, and support our country’s world-renowned cultural institutions and those who have served in our armed forces.
In his remarks, Mr. Griffin advocated for a commitment to following the the Marshall example, in part, by focusing on education. He described it as a key to national strength and prosperity calling for “teaching our students critical thinking skills instead of
Left to right: Paul A. Levengood (Marshall Foundation President), Kenneth C. Griffin (Honoree, George C. Marshall Foundation Humanitarian Award), C. Russell Fletcher, III (Chairman, Marshall Foundation Board of Trustees)
engaging in ‘culture wars’ in classrooms . . . closing the digital divide, working to increase instruction time, scaling tutoring, and greatly enhancing our emphasis on early literacy, math and science.” Only in this way, he stressed, can we maintain U.S. prosperity and leadership in a rapidly changing world.
The Marshall Award is presented to an individual for a career of distinguished public/civic service in the nonpartisan tradition of George C. Marshall, for dignity and integrity of character, and for devotion to creating and perpetuating free and democratic institutions and promoting appropriate economic development which will allow them to flourish. Past recipients include Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, and Colin Powell.
The Marshall Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual or organization for their significant contributions to ameliorating “hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos” in the spirit of the Marshall Plan or otherwise creating conditions to improve the health and welfare of people in need of assistance. Conferring the award seeks to recognize significant humanitarian service, create public awareness of the accomplishments of the recipient individual or organization, and encourage other individuals and organizations to emulate those good works. Past recipients have been Michael Bloomberg and David Rubenstein.
Photos in this article taken by Kevin Remington.