George Elsey was a military advisor to Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

 and Harry S Truman. A commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, he was a duty officer in the White House Map Room, 1941-46, accompanying Truman to the Potsdam Conference

Potsdam Conference

The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...

; Assistant to Clark Clifford

Clark Clifford

Clark McAdams Clifford was an American lawyer who served United States Presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter, serving as United States Secretary of Defense for Johnson....

, the Special Counsel to the President, 1947-49; Administrative Assistant to the President, 1949-51; and Assistant to the Director, Mutual Security Agency, 1951-53. He provided an oral history to the Truman Presidential Library in July 1969.

Having served as Vice-President of the organization between 1958 and 1961, Elsey became President of the American Red Cross

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

in 1970, serving in that post until 1982.