George C. Marshall: The Marshall Plan

On June 5, 1947, George C. Marshall delivered a speech to the graduating class of Harvard University. His address outlined the U.S. government’s proposal to contribute to the European Recovery Program following World War II. This speech and subsequent American initiative to provide foreign aid to Western Europe came to be known informally as the Marshall Plan. The 1953 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Marshall for his plan to rebuild Europe.