Frank McCarthy (June 8, 1912 – December 1, 1986) was the secretary of the General Staff of the United States Department of War during World War II; briefly United States Assistant Secretary of State for Administration in 1945; and later a distinguished film producer, whose production Patton won the 1970 Academy Award for Best Picture. Biography Early years, 1912–40 Frank McCarthy was born near Richmond, Virginia, on June 8, 1912. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, graduating in 1933. After graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, McCarthy worked as a reporter for the Richmond News Leader. He then moved to New York City and became the press agent for legendary Broadway theater producer George Abbott's Brother Rat (1937), a farce about students at the Virginia Military Institute. (In 1938, Brother Rat was made into a film starring Priscilla Lane and Wayne Morris. Ronald Reagan was cast in a minor role, and it was during this film shoot that Reagan met his future wife Jane Wyman.) Career during World War II, 1940–45 In mid-1940, following the Fall of France to invasion by Nazi Germany, McCarthy enlisted in the United States Army Reserve. By 1941, McCarthy had attained the rank of colonel and was aide-de-camp to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General George Marshall. According to Andrew Roberts' book Masters and Commanders (HarperCollins, 2009) McCarthy was a homosexual, a fact unknown to Marshall who kept on introducing him to attractive young women. Roberts cites no source for this. From 1943 to 1945, McCarthy served as the secretary of the General Staff of the United States Department of War. For his service in World War II, McCarthy was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He left the Army with the rank of brigadier general. Shortly after the end of the war, President of the United States Harry Truman named McCarthy Assistant Secretary of State for Administration under United States Secretary of State James F. Byrnes. Only 33 years old at the time, McCarthy is thus the youngest Assistant Secretary of State in United States history. However, he only held the office as a placeholder, from September 1, 1945, until October 11, 1945, when he was replaced by Donald S. Russell. Producer, 1945–86 After the war, McCarthy moved to Hollywood and became a