October 30: Special Session of Ethical Leadership Conference for High School Students

Parents: Loudoun County Student Holiday Offers Great Opportunity for Interactive Learning Experience

On Wednesday, October 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., we look forward to hosting a special session of our free Ethical Leadership Conference for high school seniors and juniors. We are excited to launch this new 1-day session of “Five-Star Character,” which will be held on a Loudoun County Public Schools student holiday.

Parents – take advantage of this free, interactive leadership opportunity, which shares lessons learned from one of the greatest leaders in U.S. history with emerging high school leaders. The day will be packed with unique and fun opportunities to learn and grow as a leader, including fun team-building activities.

Spread the word, learn more and apply today!

20th Annual Veterans Day Commemoration ­– November 11

Join Us to Honor America’s Veterans

On Monday, November 11 from 10 - 11:15 a.m., the Marshall Center will join the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County in hosting our 20th Annual Veterans Day Commemoration. This special event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on the grounds of Dodona Manor (rain or shine – the event will be held under a spacious tent).

Ken Falke, Founder & Chairman of Boulder Crest Foundation, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Navy Special Operations Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community, will reflect on the meaning of the day and the remarkable contributions of military veterans to our community.

Vintage military vehicles will be on site for exploration, and Dodona Manor will be open for free tours after the event.

*Parking is available at the Pennington Garage at 112 Church St NE, Leesburg, VA 20176*

Learn More, Become a Sponsor and RSVP

October 2 Book Club: “World on the Brink”

Join us on Wednesday, October 2 from Noon – 1 p.m. ET for a Zoom discussion of “World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21^st Century” by Dmitri Alperovitch.

Alperovitch, who predicted Putin’s intention to invade Ukraine, argues that China’s Xi Jinping is preparing to conquer Taiwan in the coming years, with dire stakes for America and the world if he is not deterred.

October 16 Off Duty: Marshall’s Mission to China and China Today

Major General (Ret.) James “Spider” Marks will reflect on the legacy of the Marshall Mission and China Today

Join us Wednesday, October 16 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Dodona Manor for an engaging discussion with U.S. Army Major General (Ret.) James “Spider” Marks.

In 1945, Special Envoy George C. Marshall embarked on a challenging mission to China, tasked with brokering peace between the Chinese Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Communist forces under Mao Zedong. The “Marshall Mission” was one last chance to bring a peaceful end to the Chinese Civil War, which led to the victory of the Communists and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

General Marks will reflect on the legacy of the Marshall Mission and China’s emergence as a modern economic and military powerhouse decades later.

Off Duty is a speaker series hosted by the Marshall Center. Events feature a speaker discussing topics that touch on history adjacent to George C. Marshall. Runtime: 90 min.

October 17: Foreign Policy Forum with Mary Daly and Dr. Wesley Fisher

Looted Art: What Has Happened Since “The Monuments Men”?

Join us on Thursday, October 17 from Noon – 1 p.m. ET for a Zoom discussion with senior U.S. State Department advisor Mary Daly and Dr. Wesley Fisher, Director of Research for the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Daly is a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of State, following a distinguished foreign service career focused on European security issues. In her current work on Holocaust issues, she has the lead on looted art as well as on the U.S.-Germany Dialogue on Holocaust Issues and property restitution negotiations with Croatia, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg.

Dr. Wesley Fisher is Director of Research for the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) and the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO). He heads the Claims Conference-WJRO Looted Art and Cultural Property Initiative, which works to encourage provenance research and claims processes worldwide.

“Leadership in Times of Crisis”: In-Person Series with Award-Winning Filmmaker David Taylor

We are pleased to announce filmmaker David Taylor’s new series “Leadership in Times of Crisis,” which features three events in October and November:

Marshall and FDR in 1945

October 2, 5:30 p.m. at Thomas Balch Library



On Wednesday, October 2 at 5:30 p.m., Taylor will examine the relationship between General George C. Marshall and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the last year of the war, as the president's health was failing and screen extracts from his film series, “FDR - A presidency revealed.” Marshall historian Rachel Thompson will be joining David to reflect on Marshall’s relationship with his Commander in Chief.

Note: Space is limited - event is near full capacity.

October 23: Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

October 23, 5:30 p.m. at Thomas Balch Library

On Wednesday, October 23 at 5:30 p.m., Taylor will explore Marshall’s participation on the committee examining use of the newly developed atomic bomb as a means of ending WWII. With footage from his History Channel film “Up from Defeat,” chronicling the previously classified work of a film crew sent to Hiroshima following the atomic explosion and David’s film “JFK: A presidency revealed,” which describes how JFK believed nuclear Armageddon was inevitable. Finally, we'll see clips from David’s film “October Fury,” showing how close we came to that fate during an exchange with a Soviet submarine en route to Cuba in 1962.

Spies in the Hanoi Hilton

November 20, 5:30 p.m. at Thomas Balch Library

On Wednesday, November 20 at 5:30 p.m., Taylor will share excerpts from his documentary, “Spies in the Hanoi Hilton,” which reveals how American POWs secretly communicated with the CIA and Naval Intelligence using a system of coding that dated back to Marshall's work in World War II. He will be joined by guest speaker Dr. Jim Stockdale, Jr. whose father – U.S. Navy vice admiral and aviator James Bond Stockdale – was the most senior naval officer to be held captive in Hanoi (seven years).

Marshall Center in the News: ABC13’s Pattie Martin finds history and horses in Leesburg

Dodona Manor featured in new piece by ABC 13 Lynchburg “NEXT STOP: ABC13’s Pattie Martin finds history and horses in Leesburg.”

Check out this great story featuring an interview with our own Marshall historian Rachel Thompson.