Marshall Lecture is May 20

Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service, will speak at this free public event

Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service, will deliver the Marshall Lecture—the cornerstone of the Fort Vancouver National Trust’s Celebrate Freedom programs—on May 20 at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver. This is a free public event, but tickets are required.

What: The Marshall Lecture

Who: Jonathan Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service

When: Thursday, May 20th at 11:30 a.m.

Where: Hudson’s Bay High School, 1601 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, WA

Cost: Free public event, but tickets are required

Info: Call the Fort Vancouver National Trust, 360-992-1800

View the May 20, 2010 Marshall Lecture on CVTV

If you are unable to attend this event but would like to support the Marshall Lecture Series, you can make a donation by clicking here.

Click here to view the CVTV interview with Elson Strahan, Fort Vancouver National Trust, and Tracy Fortmann, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. 

Event parking: Doors open at 11 a.m.

Parking for the Marshall Lecture at Hudson's Bay High School is available:

• Student lot (east side) along East Reserve
• Soccer and baseball field parking lot on south side of Mill Plain, across from Hudson's Bay High School
• Side streets near the school

Please be courteous and cautious. Do not block driveways, walkways or fire hydrants. The West lot at Hudson's Bay High School has limited parking. Wheelchair access is available on the lower level, gym entrance.

Jon Jarvis, who became the 18th Director of the National Park Service last October, stands at the helm of an agency that preserves and manages some of our nation’s most treasured landscapes and cultural icons. Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a unit of the National Park Service.

Jarvis began his career with the National Park Service (NPS) in 1976 as a seasonal interpreter. He moved up through the agency as a protection ranger, a resource management specialist, park biologist and chief of natural and cultural resources. He most recently served as the Regional Director of the Pacific West Region.

“Director Jon Jarvis has devoted his life to preserving the special places of the National Park System—like Fort Vancouver,” said Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Superintendent Tracy Fortmann. “Recognizing that our young people are tomorrow’s leaders, he is committed to engaging youth in all dimensions of public service. This makes Jon Jarvis the ideal Marshall lecturer to address Vancouver’s youth.”

Last fall when The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, the documentary series directed by Ken Burns, aired on PBS, it was the second most-watched limited series on PBS during the last decade and reached a total audience of 33.4 million viewers.

Elson Strahan, President and CEO of the Fort Vancouver National Trust, said, “Clearly, the American people hold our national parks in the highest regard.”

Honoring General George C. Marshall 

The Fort Vancouver National Trust’s Marshall Lecture honors the character and principles of General George C. Marshall, who served at Vancouver Barracks as Commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade from 1936 to 1938. In Vancouver, Marshall also supervised at least 27 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in the region.

The CCC was a Depression-era public work relief program that combined conservation, renewal, awareness and appreciation of the nation’s natural resources. In all, the CCC put 3 million men to work on conservation and development programs in our national parks: planting 3 billion trees, building bridges, 97,000 miles of fire roads and the rustic, rock-and-timber lodges and other structure that still stand today.

Later General Marshall wrote that his Vancouver tour was “one of our most delightful periods of army service.”

In 1939, General Marshall was appointed Army Chief of Staff by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He remained in that position through the end of World War II. Although he later was appointed as special envoy to China, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and President of the American Red Cross, Marshall’s most enduring legacy is creating the postwar European recovery program known as the Marshall Plan, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Celebrate Freedom is  a series of festive and educational events and programs aimed at inspiring all generations and strengthening community values of leadership, public service, patriotism and lifelong learning. The Fort Vancouver National Trust organizes the Celebrate Freedom programs, which include the Marshall Lecture series, Marshall Public Leadership Award and the Marshall Youth Leadership Award, Flag Day Ceremony presented by Veolia Water, Independence Day at Fort Vancouver presented by Bank of America and the Veterans Parade presented by the Frank and Joanne Lough Legacy.

** The Marshall Lecture will take place in a public high school. No weapons, drugs, alcohol or tobacco will be allowed on school grounds. Violators will face state and federal penalties per RCW: 9.41.280, RCW: 69.50.435 and RCW: 28A.31.170.