John Glenn

"Senator Glenn" redirects here. For other uses, seeSenator Glenn (disambiguation).

For other people named John Glenn, seeJohn Glenn (disambiguation).

John Glenn
Official portrait, 1990s
Chair of theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	William Roth
Succeeded by	William Roth
United States Senator fromOhio
In office December 24, 1974 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Howard Metzenbaum
Succeeded by	George Voinovich
Personal details
Born	John Herschel Glenn Jr. (1921-07-18)July 18, 1921 Cambridge, Ohio,U.S.
Died	December 8, 2016(2016-12-08)(aged 95) Columbus, Ohio,U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Annie Castor ​ (m.1943)​
Children	2
Education	Muskingum University(BS)
Civilian awards	Congressional Gold Medal Presidential Medal of Freedom Congressional Space Medal of Honor NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1941–1965
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War
Military awards	Distinguished Flying Cross(6) Air Medal(18)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Time in space	4h 55m 23s
Selection	NASA Group 1 (1959)
Missions	Mercury-Atlas 6
Mission insignia
Retirement	January 16, 1964
Space career
NASApayload specialist
Time in space	9d 19h 54m
Missions	STS-95
Mission insignia

John Herschel Glenn Jr.(July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an AmericanMarine Corps aviator,astronaut,businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962.Following his retirement fromNASA,he served from 1974 to 1999 as aU.S. SenatorfromOhio;in 1998, he flew into space again at the age of 77.

Before joining NASA, Glenn was a distinguishedfighter pilotinWorld War II,theChinese Civil Warand theKorean War.He shot down threeMiG-15s,and was awarded sixDistinguished Flying Crossesand eighteenAir Medals.In 1957, he made the firstsupersonictranscontinental flightacross the United States. His on-board camera took the first continuous, panoramic photograph of the United States.

Various NASA video clips of John Glenn through the years.

He was one of theMercury Seven,militarytest pilotsselected in 1959 by NASA as the nation's first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew theFriendship 7mission, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, the third American and fifth person in history to be in space. He received theNASA Distinguished Service Medalin 1962, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, was inducted into theU.S. Astronaut Hall of Famein 1990, and received thePresidential Medal of Freedomin 2012.

Glenn resigned from NASA in January 1964. A member of the Democratic Party, Glenn was firstelected to the Senate in 1974and served for 24 years, until January 1999. In 1998, at age 77, Glenn flew onSpace ShuttleDiscovery'sSTS-95mission, making him the oldest person to enter Earth orbit, the only person to fly in both the Mercury and theSpace Shuttle programs,and the first Member of Congress to visit space since CongressmanBill Nelson(D-FL) in 1986. Glenn, both the oldest and the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven, died at the age of 95 on December 8, 2016.

Early life and education

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio, the son of John Herschel Glenn Sr. (1895–1966), who worked for a plumbing firm, and Clara Teresa Glenn (néeSproat;1897–1971), a teacher.His parents had married shortly before John Sr., a member of theAmerican Expeditionary Force,left for theWestern FrontduringWorld War I.The family moved toNew Concord, Ohiosoon after his birth, and his father started his own business, the Glenn Plumbing Company.Glenn Jr. was only a toddler when he metAnna Margaret (Annie) Castor,whom he would later marry. The two would not be able to recall a time when they did not know each other.He first flew in an airplane with his father when he was eight years old. He became fascinated by flight, and built model airplanes frombalsa woodkits.Along with his adopted sister Jean,he attended New Concord Elementary School.He washed cars and soldrhubarbto earn money to buy a bicycle, after which he took a job deliveringThe Columbus Dispatchnewspaper.He was a member of theOhio Rangers,an organization similar to theCub Scouts.His boyhood home in New Concord has beenrestoredas ahistoric house museumand education center.

Glenn attendedNew Concord High School,where he played on thevarsityfootballteam as acenterandlinebacker.He also made the varsitybasketballandtennisteams, and was involved with Hi-Y, a junior branch of theYMCA.After graduating in 1939, Glenn enteredMuskingum College(now Muskingum University), where he studiedchemistry,joined the Stag Club fraternity,and played on the football team.Annie majored in music with minors in secretarial studies and physical education and competed on the swimming andvolleyballteams, graduating in 1942.Glenn earned aprivate pilot licenseand a physics course credit for free through theCivilian Pilot Training Programin 1941.He did not complete his senior year in residence or take a proficiency exam, both required by the school for itsBachelor of Sciencedegree.

Military career

World War II

When the United States entered World War II, Glenn quit college to enlist in theU.S. Army Air Corps.He was not called to duty by the Army, and enlisted as aU.S. Navyaviation cadetin March 1942. Glenn attended theUniversity of IowainIowa Cityfor pre-flight training and made his first solo flight in a military aircraft atNaval Air Station OlatheinKansas,where he went for primary training. During advanced training atNaval Air Station Corpus ChristiinTexas,he accepted an offer to transfer to theU.S. Marine Corps.Having completed his flight training in March 1943, Glenn was commissioned as asecond lieutenant.Glenn married Annie in a Presbyterian ceremony at College Drive Church inNew Concord, Ohio,on April 6, 1943.After advanced training atCamp Kearny,California, he was assigned to Marine SquadronVMJ-353,which flewR4Dtransport planes from there.

ThefightersquadronVMO-155was also at Camp Kearny flying theGrumman F4F Wildcat.Glenn approached the squadron's commander,MajorJ. P. Haines, who suggested that he could put in for a transfer. This was approved, and Glenn was posted to VMO-155 on July 2, 1943, two days before the squadron moved toMarine Corps Air Station El Centroin California.The Wildcat was obsolete by this time, and VMO-155 re-equipped with theF4U Corsairin September 1943.He was promoted tofirst lieutenantin October 1943, and shipped out to Hawaii in January 1944.VMO-155 became part of the garrison onMidway Atollon February 21,then moved to theMarshall Islandsin June 1944 and flew 57 combat missions in the area.He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses and ten Air Medals.

At the end of his one-year tour of duty in February 1945, Glenn was assigned toMarine Corps Air Station Cherry PointinNorth Carolina,then toNaval Air Station Patuxent Riverin Maryland. He was promoted tocaptainin July 1945 and ordered back to Cherry Point. There, he joined VMF-913, another Corsair squadron, and learned that he had qualified for a regular commission.In March 1946, he was assigned toMarine Corps Air Station El Toroin southern California. He volunteered for service with the occupation in North China, believing it would be a short tour. He joinedVMF-218(another Corsair squadron), which was based atNanyuan Fieldnear Beijing, in December 1946,and flew patrol missions until VMF-218 was transferred toGuamin March 1947.

In December 1948, Glenn was re-posted to NAS Corpus Christi as a student at the Naval School of All-Weather Flight before becoming aflight instructor.In July 1951, he traveled to theAmphibious Warfare SchoolatMarine Corps Base Quanticoin northernVirginiafor a six-month course.He then joined the staff of the commandant of the Marine Corps Schools. He maintained his proficiency (and flight pay) by flying on weekends and was only allowed four hours of flying time per month.He was promoted to major in July 1952.Glenn received theWorld War II Victory Medal,American Campaign Medal,Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal(with onestar),Navy Occupation Service Medal(with Asia clasp), and theChina Service Medalfor his efforts.

Korean War

Glenn's USAFF-86F,dubbed "MiG Mad Marine", during the Korean War in 1953. The names of his wife and children are also written on the aircraft.

Glenn moved his family back to New Concord during a short period of leave, and after two and a half months of jet training at Cherry Point, was ordered toSouth Koreain October 1952, late in the Korean War.Before he set out for Korea in February 1953, he applied to fly theF-86 Sabrejetfighter-interceptorthrough an inter-service exchange position with theU.S. Air Force(USAF). In preparation, he arranged with Colonel Leon W. Gray to check out the F-86 atOtis Air Force BaseinMassachusetts.Glenn reported toK-3,an airbase in South Korea, on February 3, 1953, and was assigned to be the operations officer forVMF-311,one of two Marine fighter squadrons there while he waited for the exchange assignment to go through.VMF-311 was equipped with theF9F Pantherjetfighter-bomber.Glenn's first mission was a reconnaissance flight on February 26.He flew 63 combat missions in Korea with VMF-311,and was nicknamed "Magnet Ass" because of the number offlakhits he took on low-levelclose air supportmissions;twice, he returned to base with over 250 holes in his plane.He flew for a time with Marine reservistTed Williams(then in the midst of aHall of Famebaseball career with theBoston Red Sox) as hiswingman.Williams later said about Glenn "Absolutely fearless. The best I ever saw. It was an honor to fly with him."Glenn also flew with future major generalRalph H. Spanjer.

In June 1953, Glenn reported for duty with the USAF's25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron,and flew 27 combat missions in the F-86, a much faster aircraft than the F9F Panther, patrollingMiG Alley.Combat with aMiG-15,which was faster and better armed still,was regarded as a rite of passage for a fighter pilot. On the Air Force buses that ferried the pilots out to the airfields before dawn, pilots who had engaged a MiG could sit while those who had not had to stand.Glenn later wrote, "Since the days of theLafayette Escadrilleduring World War I, pilots have viewed air-to-air combat as the ultimate test not only of their machines but of their own personal determination and flying skills. I was no exception. "He hoped to become the second Marine jetflying aceafterJohn F. Bolt.Glenn's USAF squadron mates painted "MiG Mad Marine" on his aircraft when he complained about there not being any MIGs to shoot at.He shot down his first MiG in adogfighton July 12, 1953, downed a second one on July 19, and a third on July 22 when four Sabres shot down three MiGs. These were the final air victories of the war, which ended with an armistice five days later.For his service in Korea, Glenn received two more Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight more Air Medals.Glenn also received theKorean Service Medal(with two campaign stars),United Nations Korea Medal,Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal,National Defense Service Medal(with one star), and theKorean War Service Medal.

Test pilot

Glenn standing in the cockpit of a F-106B in 1961

With combat experience as a fighter pilot, Glenn applied for training as atest pilotwhile still in Korea. He reported to theU.S. Naval Test Pilot SchoolatNAS Patuxent Riverin Maryland in January 1954, and graduated in July.At Patuxent River, futureMedal of HonorrecipientJames Stockdaletutored him in physics and math.Glenn's first flight test assignment, testing theFJ-3 Fury,nearly killed him when its cockpit depressurized and its oxygen system failed.He also tested the armament of aircraft such as theVought F7U CutlassandF8U Crusader.From November 1956 to April 1959, he was assigned to the Fighter Design Branch of the NavyBureau of Aeronauticsin Washington, D.C., and attended theUniversity of Maryland.

On July 16, 1957, he made the firstsupersonictranscontinental flight.Disliking his Bureau of Aeronautics desk job, he devised the flight as both a way to keep flying and publicly demonstrate the F8U Crusader.At that time, the transcontinental speed record, held by an Air ForceRepublic F-84 Thunderjet,was 3 hours 45 minutes and Glenn calculated that the F8U Crusader could do it faster. Because its 586-mile-per-hour (943 km/h) air speed was faster than that of a.45 caliber bullet,Glenn called the flightProject Bullet.He flew an F8U Crusader 2,445 miles (3,935 km) fromLos Alamitos, CaliforniatoFloyd Bennett Fieldin New York City in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.3 seconds,averaging supersonic speed despite threein-flight refuelingswhen speeds dropped below 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). His on-board camera took the first continuous, transcontinentalpanoramic photographof the United States.He received his fifth Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission,and was promoted tolieutenant colonelon April 1, 1959.The cross-country flight made Glenn a minor celebrity. A profile appeared inThe New York Timesand he appeared on the television showName That Tune.Glenn now had nearly 9,000 hours of flying time, including about 3,000 hours in jets,but knew that at the age of 36, he was now likely too old to continue to fly.

NASA career

Selection

Main article:Mercury Seven

Glenn in hisMercury spacesuitin 1962

On October 4, 1957, theSoviet UnionlaunchedSputnik 1,the first artificialsatellite.This damaged American confidence in its technological superiority, creating a wave of anxiety known as theSputnik crisis.In response, PresidentDwight D. Eisenhowerlaunched theSpace Race.TheNational Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) was established on October 1, 1958, as a civilian agency to develop space technology. One of its first initiatives was announced on December 17, 1958. This wasProject Mercury,which aimed to launch a man intoEarth orbit,return him safely to the Earth, and evaluate his capabilities in space.

His Bureau of Aeronautics job gave Glenn access to new spaceflight news, such as theX-15rocket plane.While on duty at Patuxent and in Washington, Glenn read everything he could find about space. His office was asked to send a test pilot toLangley Air Force Basein Virginia to make runs on a spaceflight simulator, as part of research by the newly formed NASA into re-entry vehicle shapes. The pilot would also be sent to theNaval Air Development CenterinJohnsville, Pennsylvania,and would be subjected to highG-forcesin acentrifugefor comparison with data collected in the simulator. His request for the position was granted, and he spent several days at Langley and a week in Johnsville for the testing.As one of the very few pilots to have done such testing, Glenn had become an expert on the subject.NASA asked military-service members to participate in planning themockupof a spacecraft. Having participated in the research at Langley and Johnsville, he was sent to theMcDonnellplant inSt. Louisas a service adviser to NASA's spacecraft mockup board.Envisioning himself in the vehicle, Glenn stated that the passenger would have to be able to control the spacecraft. McDonnell engineers told him of the importance of lightening the vehicle as much as possible, so Glenn began exercising to lose the 30 pounds he estimated that he was overweight.

Eisenhower directed NASA to recruit its first astronauts from military test pilots. Of 508 graduates of test pilot schools, 110 matched the minimum standards.Marine Corps pilots were mistakenly omitted at first; two were quickly found, including Glenn.The candidates had to be younger than 40, possess a bachelor's degree or equivalent, and be 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) or less. Only the height requirement was strictly enforced, owing to the size of the Project Mercury spacecraft.This was fortunate for Glenn, who barely met the requirements, as he was near the age cutoff and lacked a science-based degree,but had taken more classes since leaving college than needed for graduation. Glenn was otherwise so outstanding a candidate that Colonel Jake Dill, his commanding officer at test pilot school, visited NASA headquarters to insist that Glenn would be the perfect astronaut.

The Mercury Seven astronauts posing with a USAFF-106

For an interview with Charles Donlan, associate director of Project Mercury, Glenn brought the results from the centrifuge to show that he had done well on a test that perhaps no other candidate had taken. Donlan also noticed that Glenn stayed late at night to study schematics of the Mercury spacecraft.He was among the 32 of the first 69 candidates that passed the first step of the evaluation and were interested in continuing, sufficient for the astronaut corps NASA wanted.On February 27 a grueling series of physical and psychological tests began at theLovelace Clinicand theWright Aerospace Medical Laboratory.

John Glenn Training Couch atSteven F. Udvar-Hazy CenterVirginia USA

Because of his Bureau of Aeronautics job, Glenn was already participating in Project Mercury; while other candidates were at Wright, on March 17 he and most of those who would choose the astronauts visited the McDonnell plant building the spacecraft to inspect its progress and make changes. While Glenn had not scored the highest on all the tests, a member of the selection committee recalled how he had impressed everyone with "strength of personality and his dedication". On April 6 Donlan called Glenn to offer him a position at Project Mercury,one of seven candidates chosen as astronauts.Glenn was pleased while Annie was supportive, but wary of the danger; during his three years at Patuxent, 12 test pilots had died.

The identities of the seven were announced at a press conference atDolley Madison Housein Washington, D.C., on April 9, 1959:Scott Carpenter,Gordon Cooper,Glenn,Gus Grissom,Wally Schirra,Alan Shepard,andDeke Slayton.InThe Right Stuff,Tom Wolfewrote that Glenn "came out of it as tops among seven very fair-haired boys. He had the hottest record as a pilot, he was the most quotable, the most photogenic, and the lone Marine."The magnitude of the challenge ahead of them was made clear a few weeks later, on the night of May 18, 1959, when the seven astronauts gathered atCape Canaveralto watch their first rocket launch, of anSM-65D Atlas,which was similar to the one that was to carry them into orbit. A few minutes after liftoff, it exploded spectacularly, lighting up the night sky. The astronauts were stunned. Shepard turned to Glenn and said: "Well, I'm glad they got that out of the way."

Glenn remained an officer in the Marine Corps after his selection,and was assigned to the NASA Space Task Group atLangley Research CenterinHampton, Virginia.The task force moved toHouston,Texas, in 1962, and became part of the NASAManned Spacecraft Center.A portion of the astronauts' training was in the classroom, where they learned space science. The group also received hands-on training, which includedscuba divingand work in simulators.Astronauts secured an additional role in the spaceflight program: to provide pilot input in design. The astronauts divided the various tasks between them. Glenn's specialization was cockpit layout design and control functioning for the Mercury and earlyApollo programs.He pressed the other astronauts to set a moral example, living up to the squeaky-clean image of them that had been portrayed byLifemagazine,a position that was not popular with the other astronauts.

Friendship 7flight

Main article:Mercury-Atlas 6

Glenn entering his spacecraft,Friendship 7,prior to the launch of Mercury-Atlas 6 on February 20, 1962

Glenn was the backup pilot for Shepard and Grissom on the first two crewed Project Mercury flights, the sub-orbital missionsMercury-Redstone 3andMercury-Redstone 4.Glenn was selected for Mercury-Atlas 6, NASA's first crewed orbital flight, with Carpenter as his backup. Putting a man in orbit would achieve one of Project Mercury's most important goals.Shepard and Grissom had named their spacecraftFreedom 7andLiberty Bell 7.The numeral 7 had originally been the production number of Shepard's spacecraft, but had come to represent the Mercury 7. Glenn named his spacecraft, number 13,Friendship 7,and had the name hand-painted on the side like the one on his F-86 had been.Glenn and Carpenter completed their training for the mission in January 1962, but postponement of the launch allowed them to continue rehearsing. Glenn spent 25 hours and 25 minutes in the spacecraft performing hangar and altitude tests, and 59 hours and 45 minutes in the simulator. He flew 70 simulated missions and reacted to 189 simulated system failures.

After a long series of delays,Friendship 7lifted off fromCape Canaveral Air Force Stationon February 20, 1962. During the countdown, there were eleven delays due to equipment malfunctions and improvements and the weather. During Glenn's first orbit, a failure of the automatic-control system was detected. This forced Glenn to operate in manual mode for the second and third orbits, and for re-entry. Later in the flight, telemetry indicated that theheat shieldhad loosened. If this reading had been accurate, Glenn and his spacecraft would have burned up on re-entry. After a lengthy discussion on how to deal with this problem, ground controllers decided that leaving the retrorocket pack in place might help keep the loose heat shield in place. They relayed these instructions to Glenn, but did not tell him the heat shield was possibly loose; although confused at this order, he complied. The retrorocket pack broke up into large chunks of flaming debris that flew past the window of his capsule during re-entry; Glenn thought this might have been the heat shield. He told an interviewer, "Fortunately it was the rocket pack—or I wouldn't be answering these questions."After the flight, it was determined that the heat shield was not loose; the sensor was faulty.

Glenn being honored by U.S. PresidentKennedyat temporaryManned Spacecraft Centerfacilities atCape Canaveral, Florida,three days after his flight

Friendship 7safelysplashed down800 miles (1,290 km) southeast of Cape Canaveral after Glenn's 4-hour, 55-minute flight.He carried a note on the flight which read, "I am a stranger. I come in peace. Take me to your leader and there will be a massive reward for you in eternity" in several languages, in case he landed near southern Pacific Ocean islands.The original procedure called for Glenn to exit through the top hatch, but he was uncomfortably warm and decided that egress through the side hatch would be faster.During the flight, he endured up to 7.8 g of acceleration and traveled 75,679 miles (121,794 km) at about 17,500 miles per hour (28,200 km/h).The flight took Glenn to a maximum altitude (apogee) of about 162 miles (261 km) and a minimum altitude of 100 miles (160 km) (perigee).Unlike the crewed missions ofSoviet Union'sVostok programme,Glenn remained within the spacecraft during landing.The flight made Glenn the first American toorbitthe Earth,the third American in space, and the fifth human in space.The mission, which Glenn called the "best day of his life", renewed U.S. confidence.His flight occurred while the U.S. and the Soviet Union were embroiled in theCold Warand competing in the Space Race.

Friendship 7is currently displayed at theNational Air and Space Museum.

As the first American in orbit, Glenn became a national hero, met PresidentJohn F. Kennedy,and received aticker-tape paradein New York reminiscent of those honoringCharles Lindberghand other heroes. He became "so valuable to the nation as an iconic figure", according to NASA administratorCharles Bolden,that Kennedy would not "risk putting him back in space again."Glenn's fame and political potential were noted by the Kennedys, and he became a friend of theKennedy family.On February 23, 1962, President Kennedy gave him theNASA Distinguished Service Medalfor hisFriendship 7flight.Upon receiving the award, Glenn said, "I would like to consider I was a figurehead for this whole big, tremendous effort, and I am very proud of the medal I have on my lapel."Glenn also received his sixth Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts.He was among the first group of astronauts to be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The award was presented to him by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. After his 1962 spaceflight, NASA proposed giving Glenn theMedal of Honor,but Glenn did not think that would be appropriate. His military and space awards were stolen from his home in 1978, and he remarked that he would keep this medal in a safe.

Comments about women in space

In 1962, NASA contemplated recruiting women to the astronaut corps via theMercury 13,but Glenn gave a speech before theHouse Space Committeedetailing his opposition to sending women into space, in which he said:

I think this gets back to the way our social order is organized, really. It is just a fact. The men go off and fight the wars and fly the airplanes and come back and help design and build and test them. The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order.

In May 1965, after he left NASA, Glenn was quoted in theMiami Heraldas saying NASA "offer a serious chance for space women" as scientist astronauts.

NASA had no official policy prohibiting women, but the requirement that astronauts had to be test pilots effectively excluded them.NASA dropped this requirement in 1965,but did not select any women as astronauts until 1978, when six women were selected, none as pilots.In June 1963, the Soviet Union launched a female cosmonaut,Valentina Tereshkova,into orbit. After Tereshkova, no women of any nationality flew in space again until August 1982, when the Soviet Union launched pilot-cosmonautSvetlana Savitskaya.During the late 1970s, Glenn reportedly supportedSpace ShuttleMission SpecialistJudith Resnikin her career.

Political campaigning

1964 Senate campaign

Main article:1964 United States Senate election in Ohio

At 42, Glenn was the oldest member of the astronaut corps and would likely be close to 50 by the time the lunar landings took place. During Glenn's training, NASA psychologists determined that he was the astronaut best suited for public life.Attorney GeneralRobert F. Kennedysuggested to Glenn and his wife in December 1962 that he run for the1964 United States Senate election in Ohio,challenging aging incumbentStephen M. Young(1889–1984) in the Democratic primary election. As it seemed unlikely that he would be selected forProject Apollomissions,he resigned from NASA on January 16, 1964, and announced hisDemocratic Partycandidacy for theU.S. Senatefrom his home state of Ohio the following day,becoming the firstastronaut-politician.Glenn was still a Marine, and had plenty of unused leave time. He elected to use it while he waited for his retirement papers to go through.

To avoid partisanship, NASA quickly closed Glenn's agency office.The New York Timesreported that while many Ohioans were skeptical of Glenn's qualifications for the Senate, he could defeat Young in the Democratic primary; whether he could defeat RepresentativeRobert Taft Jr.,the likely Republican candidate, in the general election was much less clear.In late February he was hospitalized for aconcussionsustained in a fall against a bathtub while attempting to fix a mirror in a hotel room;an inner-ear injury from the accident left him unable to campaign.Both his wife and Scott Carpenter campaigned on his behalf during February and March, but doctors gave Glenn a recovery time of one year. Glenn did not want to win solely because of his astronaut fame, so he dropped out of the race on March 30.

Glenn was still on leave from the Marine Corps, and he withdrew his papers to retire so he could keep a salary and health benefits.Glenn was on the list of potential candidates to be promoted to full colonel, but he notified theCommandant of the Marine Corpsof his intention to retire so another Marine could receive the promotion. President Johnson later decided to promote Glenn to full colonel status without taking someone else's slot. He retired as acolonelon January 1, 1965. Glenn was approached byRC Colato join their public relations department, but Glenn declined it because he wanted to be involved with a business, and not just the face of it. The company revised their offer, and offered Glenn a vice president of corporate development position, as well as a place on the board of directors.The company later expanded Glenn's role, promoting him to president of Royal Crown International.A Senate seat was open in 1968, and Glenn was asked about his current political aspirations. He said he had no current plan, and "Let's talk about it one of these days." Glenn also said that a 1970 Senate run was a possibility.

In 1973, he and a friend bought aHoliday InnnearDisney World.The success of Disney World expanded to their business, and the pair built three more hotels.One of Glenn's business partners wasHenri Landwirth,aHolocaustsurvivor who became his best friend.He remembered learning about Landwirth's background: "Henri doesn't talk about it much. It was years before he spoke about it with me and then only because of an accident. We were down in Florida during the space program. Everyone was wearing short-sleeved Ban-Lon shirts—everyone but Henri. Then one day I saw Henri at the pool and noticed thenumber on his arm.I told Henri that if it were me I'd wear that number like a medal with a spotlight on it. "

1970 Senate campaign

Main article:1970 United States Senate election in Ohio

Glenn presents President Kennedy with an American flag he carried inside his space suit onFriendship 7.

Glenn remained close to the Kennedy family, and campaigned for Robert F. Kennedy during his1968 presidential campaign.In 1968, Glenn was in Kennedy's hotel suite when Kennedy heard he had won California. Glenn was supposed to go with him to celebrate, but decided not to as there would be many people there. Kennedy went downstairs to make his victory speech andwas assassinated.Glenn and Annie went with Kennedy to the hospital, and the next morning took Kennedy's children home to Virginia.Glenn was later a pallbearer at the funeral in New York.

In 1970, Young did not seek reelection and the seat was open. BusinessmanHoward Metzenbaum,Young's former campaign manager, was backed by theOhio Democratic partyand major labor unions, which provided him a significant funding advantage over Glenn. Glenn's camp persuaded him to be thrifty during the primary so he could save money for the general election. By the end of the primary campaign, Metzenbaum was spending four times as much as Glenn.Glenn was defeated in the Democratic primary by Metzenbaum (who received 51 percent of the vote to Glenn's 49 percent). Some prominent Democrats said Glenn was a "hapless political rube", and one newspaper called him "the ultimate square".

Metzenbaum lost the general election to Robert Taft Jr.Glenn remained active in the political scene following his defeat. GovernorJohn J. Gilliganappointed Glenn to be the chairman of the Citizens Task Force on Environmental Protection in 1970. The task force was created to survey environmental problems in the state and released a report in 1971 detailing the issues. The meetings and the final report of the task force were major contributors to the formation of Ohio'sEnvironmental Protection Agency.

1974 Senate campaign

Main article:1974 United States Senate election in Ohio

In 1973, President Nixon orderedAttorney GeneralElliot Richardsonto fireWatergatespecial prosecutorArchibald Cox.Richardson refused and resigned in protest, triggering theSaturday Night massacre.Ohio SenatorWilliam Saxbe,elected in 1968, was appointed attorney general. Both Glenn and Metzenbaum sought the vacated seat, which was to be filled by Governor John Gilligan. Gilligan was planning on a presidential or vice-presidential run in the near future, and offered Glenn thelieutenant governorposition, with the thought that Glenn would ascend to governor when Gilligan was elected to a higher position. The Ohio Democratic party backed this solution to avoid what was expected to be a divisive primary battle between Metzenbaum and Glenn. He declined, denouncing their attempts as "Boss ism" and "blackmail".Glenn's counteroffer suggested that Gilligan fill the position with someone other than Metzenbaum or Glenn so neither would have an advantage going into the 1974 election. Metzenbaum's campaign agreed to back Gilligan in his governor re-election campaign, and Metzenbaum was subsequently appointed in January 1974 to the vacated seat.At the end of Saxbe's term, Glenn challenged Metzenbaum in the primary for the Ohio Senate seat.

Glenn's campaign changed their strategy after the 1970 election. In 1970, Glenn won most of the counties in Ohio, but lost in those with larger populations. The campaign changed its focus, and worked primarily in the large counties.In the primary, Metzenbaum contrasted his strong business background with Glenn's military and astronaut credentials and said that his opponent had "never held a payroll". Glenn's reply became known as the "Gold Star Mothers"speech. He told Metzenbaum to go to a veterans' hospital and" look those men with mangled bodies in the eyes and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me to any Gold Star mother and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job ".He defeated Metzenbaum 54 to 46 percent before defeatingRalph Perk(the RepublicanmayorofCleveland) in the general election, beginning a Senate career which would continue until 1999.

1976 vice presidential consideration

Buttons of Carter's options for vice president

AfterJimmy Carterbecame the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in the1976 election,Glenn was reported to bein considerationto be Carter's running mate because he was a senator in a pivotal state and for his fame and straightforwardness.Some thought he was too much like Carter, partially because they both had military backgrounds, and that he did not have enough experience to become president.Barbara Jordanwas the first keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Her speech electrified the crowd, and was filled with applause and standing ovations. Glenn's keynote address immediately followed Jordan's, and he failed to impress the delegates. Walter Cronkite described it as "dull", and other delegates complained that he was hard to hear.Carter called Glenn to inform him the nomination was going to another candidate, and later nominated the veteran politicianWalter Mondale.It was also reported that Carter's wife thought Annie Glenn, who had a stutter, would hurt the campaign.

1980 Senate campaign

Main article:1980 United States Senate election in Ohio

In his first reelection campaign, Glenn ran opposed in the primary for the 1980 Senate election. His opponents, engineer Francis Hunstiger and ex-teacher Frances Waterman, were not well-known and poorly funded.His opponents spent only a few thousand dollars on the campaign, while Glenn spent $700,000.Reporters noted that for a race he was likely to win, Glenn was spending a lot of time and money on the campaign. His chief strategist responded to the remarks saying, "It's the way he does things. He takes nothing for granted."Glenn won the primary by a landslide, with 934,230 of the 1.09 million votes.

Jim Betts,who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, challenged Glenn for his seat. Betts publicly stated that Glenn's policies were part of the reason for inflation increases and a lower standard of living.Betts' campaign also attacked Glenn's voting record, saying that he often voted for spending increases. Glenn's campaign's response was that he has been a part of over 3,000 roll calls and "any one of them could be taken out of context".Glenn was projected to win the race easily,and won by the largest margin ever for an Ohio Senator, defeating Betts by over 40 percent.

1984 presidential campaign

Glenn was unhappy with how divided the country was, and thought labels like conservative and liberal increased the divide. He considered himself a centrist. Glenn thought a more centrist president would help unite the country. Glenn believed his experience as a senator from Ohio was ideal because of the state's diversity.Glenn thought thatTed Kennedycould win the election, but after Kennedy's announcement in late 1982 that he would not seek the presidency, Glenn thought he had a much better chance of winning. He hired a media consultant to help him with his speaking style.

Glenn announced hiscandidacy for presidenton April 21, 1983, in theJohn Glenn High Schoolgymnasium.He started out the campaign out-raising the front-runner, Mondale. He also polled the highest of any Democrat against Reagan.During the fall of 1983,The Right Stuff,a film about the Mercury Seven astronauts, was released. Reviewers sawEd Harris' portrayal of Glenn as heroic and his staff began to publicize the film to the press.One reviewer said that "Harris' depiction helped transform Glenn from a history-book figure into a likable, thoroughly adoration-worthy Hollywood hero," turning him into a big-screen icon.Others considered the movie to be damaging to Glenn's campaign, serving as only a reminder that Glenn's most significant achievement had occurred decades earlier.Glenn's autobiography said the film "had a chilling effect on the campaign."

William White managed Glenn's campaign until his replacement by Jerry Vento on January 26, 1984.Glenn's campaign decided to forgo the traditional campaigning in early caucuses and primaries, and focus on building campaign offices across the country. He opened offices in 43 states by January 1984. Glenn's campaign spent a significant amount of money on television advertising in Iowa, and Glenn chose not to attend an Iowan debate on farm issues. He finished fifth in the Iowa caucus, and went on to lose New Hampshire. Glenn's campaign continued intoSuper Tuesday,and he lost there as well. He announced his withdrawal from the race on March 16, 1984.After Mondale defeated him for the nomination, Glenn carried $3 million in campaign debt for over 20 years before receiving a reprieve from theFederal Election Commission.

1986 Senate campaign

Main article:1986 United States Senate election in Ohio

Glenn's Senate seat was challenged byThomas Kindness.Kindness was unopposed in his primary, while Glenn facedLyndon LaRouchesupporter Don Scott. LaRouche supporters had been recently elected in Illinois, but the Ohio Democratic Party chairman did not think it was likely they would see the same success in Ohio.LaRouche was known for his fringe theories, such as the queen of England being a drug dealer.Kindness spoke to his supporters and warned them against LaRouche candidates. He issued a statement telling voters to reject LaRouche candidates in both Republican and Democratic primaries.Glenn won the primary contest with 88% of the vote.

With the primary complete, Glenn began his campaign against Kindness. Glenn believed he and other Democrats were the targets of a negative campaign thought up by the GOP strategists in Washington. Kindness focused on Glenn's campaign debts for his failed presidential run, and the fact he stopped payments on it while campaigning for the Senate seat.After winning the race with 62% of the vote, Glenn remarked, "We proved that in 1986, they couldn't kill Glenn with Kindness."

1992 Senate campaign

Main article:1992 United States Senate election in Ohio

In 1992, RepublicanMike DeWinewon the Republican primary and challenged Glenn in the Senate election. Glenn ran unopposed in the primary.DeWine's campaign focused on the need for change and for term limits for senators. This would be Glenn's fourth term as senator.DeWine also criticized Glenn's campaign debts, using a bunny dressed as an astronaut beating a drum, with an announcer saying, "He just keeps owing and owing and owing", a play on theEnergizer Bunny.During a debate, Glenn asked DeWine to stop his negative campaign ads, saying "This has been the most negative campaign". DeWine responded that he would if Glenn would disclose how he spent the money he received fromCharles Keating,fallout from Glenn being named one of theKeating Five.Glenn won the Senate seat, with 2.4 million votes to DeWine's 2 million votes.It was DeWine's first-ever campaign loss. DeWine later worked on the intelligence committee with Glenn and watched his second launch into space.

Senate career

Glenn shaking hands withPresidentRonald Reaganin 1986

Committee on Governmental Affairs

Glenn requested to be assigned to two committees during his first year as senator: theGovernment Operations Committee(later known as the Committee on Governmental Affairs), and theForeign Relations Committee.He was immediately assigned to the Government Operations Committee, and waited for a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee.In 1977, Glenn wanted to chair the Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Governmental Affairs Committee.Abraham Ribicoff,chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, said he could chair the subcommittee if he also chaired the less popular Federal Services Subcommittee, which was in charge of theU.S. Postal Service.Previous chairs of the Federal Services Subcommittee had lost elections in part because negative campaigns associated the poorly regarded mail service to the chairmen, but Glenn accepted the offer and became the chair of both subcommittees.One of his goals as a new senator was developing environmental policies.Glenn introduced bills on energy policy to try to counter theenergy crisis in the 70s.Glenn also introduced legislation promoting nuclear non-proliferation, and was the chief author of theNuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978,the first of six major pieces of legislation that he produced on the subject.

Glenn chaired the Committee on Governmental Affairs from 1987 to 1995.It was in this role that he discovered safety and environmental problems with the nation's nuclear weapons facilities. Glenn was made aware of the problem at theFernald Feed Materials Production Centernear Cincinnati, and soon found that it affected sites across the nation. Glenn requested investigations from the General Accounting Office of Congress and held several hearings on the issue. He also released a report on the potential costs of hazardous waste cleanup at former nuclear weapons manufacturing facilities, known as the Glenn Report.He spent the remainder of his Senate career acquiring funding to clean up thenuclear wasteleft at the facilities.

Glenn also focused on reducing government waste. He created legislation to mandate CFOs for large governmental agencies.Glenn wrote a bill to add the office of the inspector general to federal agencies, to help find waste and fraud. He also created legislation intended to prevent the federal government from imposing regulations on local governments without funding. Glenn founded the Great Lakes Task Force, which helped protect the environment of theGreat Lakes.

In 1995 Glenn became the ranking minority member of the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Glenn disputed the focus onillegal Chinese donationsto the Democrats, and asserted that Republicans also had egregious fundraising issues. The committee chair,Fred ThompsonofTennessee,disagreed and continued the investigation.Thompson and Glenn continued to work together poorly for the duration of the investigation. Thompson would give Glenn only information he was legally required to. Glenn would not authorize a larger budget and tried to expand the scope of the investigation to include members of the GOP.The investigation concluded with a Republican-written report, which Thompson described as, "... a lot of things strung together that paint a real ugly picture." The Democrats, led by Glenn, said the report "... does not support the conclusion that the China plan was aimed at, or affected, the 1996 presidential election."

Glenn was the vice chairman of thePermanent Subcommittee on Investigations,a subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs.When the Republican Party regained control of the Senate in 1996, Glenn became the ranking minority member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations until he was succeeded byCarl Levin.During this time, the committee investigated issues such asfraud on the Internet,mortgage fraud,andday trading of securities.

Other committees and activities

Glenn in the U.S. Senate

Glenn's father spent his retirement money battling cancer, and would have lost his house if Glenn had not intervened. His father-in-law also had expensive treatments for Parkinson's disease. These health and financial issues motivated him to request a seat on theSpecial Committee on Aging.

Glenn was considered an expert in matters of science and technology. He was a supporter of continuing theB-1 bomberprogram, which he considered successful. This conflicted with President Carter's desire to fund theB-2 bomberprogram. Glenn did not fully support development of the B-2 because he had doubts about the feasibility of thestealth technology.He drafted a proposal to slow down the development of the B-2, which could have potentially saved money, but the measure was rejected.

Glenn joined theForeign Relations Committeein 1978. He became the chairman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, for which he traveled to Japan, Korea, the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China. Glenn helped to pass theTaiwan Enabling Actof 1979. The same year, Glenn's stance on theSALT II treatycaused another dispute with President Carter. Given the loss of radar listening posts in Iran, Glenn did not believe that the U.S. had the capability to monitor the Soviet Union accurately enough to verify compliance with the treaty.During the launching ceremony for theUSSOhio,he spoke about his doubts about verifying treaty compliance. First LadyRosalynn Carteralso spoke at the event, during which she criticized Glenn for speaking publicly about the issue. The Senate never ratified the treaty, in part because of theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan.Glenn served on the committee until 1985, when he traded it for theArmed Services Committee.

Glenn delivers remarks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring theApollo 11astronauts in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol in 2011.

Glenn became chairman of theManpower Subcommitteeof the Armed Services Committee in 1987.He introduced legislation such as increasing pay and benefits for American troops in the Persian Gulf during theGulf War.He served as chairman until 1993, becoming chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee onMilitary Readiness and Defense Infrastructure.

Keating Five

Main article:Keating Five

Glenn was one of theKeating Five—the U.S. Senators involved with thesavings and loan crisis—after he accepted a $200,000 campaign contribution fromLincoln Savings and Loan Associationhead Charles Keating. During the crisis, the senators were accused of delaying the seizure of Keating's S&L, which cost taxpayers an additional $2 billion. The combination of perceived political pressure and Keating's monetary contributions to the senators led to an investigation.

The Ethics Committee's outside counsel, Robert Bennett, wanted to eliminate Republican senatorJohn McCainand Glenn from the investigation. The Democrats did not want to exclude McCain, as he was the only Republican being investigated, which means they could not excuse Glenn from the investigation either.McCain and Glenn were reprimanded the least of the five, as the Senate commission found that they had exercised "poor judgment".The GOP focused on Glenn's "poor judgment" rather than what Glenn saw as complete exoneration. GOP chairmanRobert Bennettsaid, "John Glenn misjudged Charles Keating. He also misjudged the tolerance of Ohio's taxpayers, who are left to foot the bill of nearly $2 billion."After the Senate's report, Glenn said, "They so firmly put this thing to bed... there isn't much there to fuss with. I didn't do anything wrong."In his autobiography, Glenn wrote, "outside of people close to me dying, these hearings were the low point of my life." The case cost him $520,000 in legal fees.The association of his name with the scandal made Republicans hopeful that he could be defeated in the 1992 campaign, but Glenn defeated Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine to retain his seat.

Retirement

On February 20, 1997, which was the 35th anniversary of his Friendship 7 flight, Glenn announced that his retirement from the Senate would occur at the end of his term in January 1999.Glenn retired because of his age, saying "... There is still no cure for the common birthday".

Return to space

Main article:STS-95

Glenn on the Space ShuttleDiscoveryin 1998

STS-95 portrait

Glenn getting his blood drawn in space for an experiment

After theSpace ShuttleChallengerdisasterin 1986, Glenn criticized putting a "lay person in space for the purpose of gaining public support... while the shuttle is still in its embryonic stage". He supported flying research scientists.In 1995, Glenn readSpace Physiology and Medicine,a book written by NASA doctors. He realized that many changes that occur to physical attributes during space flight, such as loss of bone and muscle mass and blood plasma,are the same as changes that result from aging. Glenn thought NASA should send an older person on a shuttle mission, and that it should be him. Starting in 1995, he began lobbying NASA director Dan Goldin for the mission.Goldin said he would consider it if there was a scientific reason, and if Glenn could pass the same physical examination the younger astronauts took. Glenn performed research on the subject, and passed the physical examination. On January 16, 1998, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin announced that Glenn would be part of the STS-95 crew;this made him, at age 77, the oldest person to fly in space at that time.

NASA and the National Institute of Aging (NIA) planned to use Glenn as a test subject for research, withbiometricstaken before, during and after his flight. Some experiments (incircadian rhythms,for example) compared him with the younger crew members. In addition to these tests, he was in charge of the flight's photography and videography. Glenn returned to space on the Space Shuttle on October 29, 1998, as apayload specialistonSpace ShuttleDiscovery.Shortly before the flight, researchers disqualified Glenn from one of the flight's two major human experiments (on the effect ofmelatonin) for undisclosed medical reasons; he participated in experiments on sleep monitoring and protein use.On November 6, PresidentBill Clintonsent a congratulatory email to Glenn aboard theDiscovery.This is often cited as the first email sent by a sitting U.S. president, but records exist of emails being sent by President Clinton several years earlier.

His participation in the nine-day mission was criticized by some members of the space community as a favor granted by Clinton; John Pike, director of theFederation of American Scientists' space-policy project, said: "If he was a normal person, he would acknowledge he's a great American hero and that he should get to fly on the shuttle for free... He's too modest for that, and so he's got to have this medical research reason. It's got nothing to do with medicine".

In a 2012 interview, Glenn said he regretted that NASA did not continue its research on aging by sending additional elderly people into space.After STS-95 returned safely, its crew received a ticker-tape parade. On October 15, 1998,NASA Road 1(the main route to the Johnson Space Center) was temporarily renamed John Glenn Parkway for several months.Glenn was awarded theNASA Space Flight Medalin 1998 for flying on STS-95.In 2001, Glenn opposed sendingDennis Tito,the world's firstspace tourist,to theInternational Space Stationbecause Tito's trip had no scientific purpose.

Personal life

Annie and John Glenn in 1965

Glenn and Annie had two children—John David and Carolyn Ann—and two grandchildren,and remained married for 73 years until his death.

AFreemason,Glenn was a member of Concord Lodge No. 688 in New Concord, Ohio.He received all hisdegreesin full in aMason at Sightceremony from theGrand Masterof Ohio in 1978, 14 years after petitioning his lodge. In 1999, Glenn became a 33rd-degreeScottish RiteMason in the Valley of Cincinnati (NMJ).As an adult, he was honored as part of the DeMolay Legion of Honor byDeMolay International,a Masonic youth organization for boys.

Glenn was an ordained elder of thePresbyterian Church.His religious faith began before he became an astronaut, and was reinforced after he traveled in space. "To look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible," said Glenn after his second (and final) space voyage.He saw no contradiction between belief in God and the knowledge that evolution is "a fact" and believed evolution should be taught in schools:"I don't see that I'm any less religious that I can appreciate the fact that science just records that we change with evolution and time, and that's a fact. It doesn't mean it's less wondrous and it doesn't mean that there can't be some power greater than any of us that has been behind and is behind whatever is going on."

Public appearances

Glenn at the ceremony transferring the Space ShuttleDiscoveryto the Smithsonian Institution

Glenn was an honorary member of theInternational Academy of Astronauticsand a member of theSociety of Experimental Test Pilots,Marine Corps Aviation Association,Order of Daedalians,National Space Club board of trustees, National Space Society board of governors, International Association of Holiday Inns,Ohio Democratic Party,State Democratic Executive Committee, Franklin County (Ohio) Democratic Party and the 10th District (Ohio) Democratic Action Club. In 2001 he guest-starred as himself on the American television sitcomFrasier.

On September 5, 2009, John and Annie Glenn dotted the "i" in Ohio State University'sScript Ohiomarching bandperformance during theOhio State–Navyfootball-game halftime show, which is normally reserved for veteran band members.To commemorate the 50th anniversary of theFriendship 7flight on February 20, 2012, he had an unexpected opportunity to speak with theorbiting crewof the International Space Station when he was onstage withNASA AdministratorCharlie Boldenat Ohio State University.On April 19, 2012, Glenn participated in the ceremonial transfer of the retired Space ShuttleDiscoveryfrom NASA to theSmithsonian Institutionfor permanent display at theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.He used the occasion to criticize the "unfortunate" decision to end theSpace Shuttle program,saying that grounding the shuttles delayed research.

Illness and death

Glenn was in good health for most of his life. He retained a private pilot's license until 2011 when he was 90.In June 2014, Glenn underwent successfulheart valve replacementsurgery at theCleveland Clinic.In early December 2016, he was hospitalized atthe James Cancer HospitalofOhio State University Wexner Medical Centerin Columbus.According to a family source, Glenn had been in declining health, and his condition was grave; his wife and their children and grandchildren were at the hospital.

Glenn's casket carried by Marine Corps pallbearers

Glenn's headstone at Arlington National Cemetery

Glenn died on December 8, 2016, at the OSU Wexner Medical Center; he was 95 years old.No cause of death was disclosed. After his death, his body lay in state at theOhio Statehouse.There was a memorial service at Mershon Auditorium at Ohio State University.Another memorial service was performed at Kennedy Space Center near the Heroes and Legends building.His body was interred atArlington National Cemeteryon April 6, 2017.At the time of his death, Glenn was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven.

TheMilitary Timesreported that William Zwicharowski, a senior mortuary official atDover Air Force Base,had offered to let visiting inspectors view Glenn's remains, sparking an official investigation.Zwicharowski has denied the remains were disrespected.At the conclusion of the investigation, officials said the remains were not disrespected as inspectors did not accept Zwicharowski's offer, and that Zwicharowski's actions were improper. No administrative action was taken as he had retired.

PresidentBarack Obamasaid that Glenn, "the first American to orbit the Earth, reminded us that with courage and a spirit of discovery there's no limit to the heights we can reach together".Tributes were also paid by Vice PresidentJoe Biden,President-electDonald Trumpand former Secretary of StateHillary Clinton.

The phrase "Godspeed, John Glenn", which fellow Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter had used to hail Glenn's launch into space, became a social-mediahashtag:#GodspeedJohnGlenn. Former and current astronauts added tributes; so did NASA Administrator and former shuttle astronaut Charles Bolden, who wrote: "John Glenn's legacy is one of risk and accomplishment, of history created and duty to country carried out under great pressure with the whole world watching."President Obama ordered flags to be flown athalf-staffuntil Glenn's burial.On April 5, 2017, President Donald Trump issuedpresidential proclamation9588,titled "Honoring the Memory of John Glenn".

Awards and honors

Glenn was awarded theJohn J. Montgomery Awardin 1963.Glenn received theNational Geographic Society'sHubbard Medalin 1962.Glenn, along with 37 other space race astronauts, received the Ambassador of Space Exploration Award in 2006.He was also awarded the GeneralThomas D. WhiteNational Defense Award,and thePrince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation.In 1964, Glenn received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement.In 2004, he received theWoodrow Wilson Award for Public Servicefrom the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution,and was awarded theNational Collegiate Athletic Association'sTheodore Roosevelt Awardfor 2008.

Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2012

Glenn earned theNavy's astronaut wingsand the Marine Corps' Astronaut Medal.He was awarded theCongressional Gold Medalin 2011 and was among the first group of astronauts to be granted the distinction.In 2012, President Barack Obama presented Glenn with thePresidential Medal of Freedom.Glenn was the seventh astronaut to receive this distinction. The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are considered the two most prestigious awards that can be bestowed on a civilian.The Society of Experimental Test Pilots awarded Glenn theIven C. Kincheloeaward in 1963,and he was inducted into theInternational Air & Space Hall of Famein 1968,National Aviation Hall of Famein 1976,theInternational Space Hall of Famein 1977,and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990.In 2000, he received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for public service by an elected or appointed official, one of the annualJefferson Awards.

TheJohn Glenn College of Public Affairs

In 1961, Glenn received anhonoraryLL.Dfrom Muskingum University, the college he attended before joining the military in World War II.He also received honorary doctorates fromNihon Universityin Tokyo;Wagner Collegein Staten Island, New York;Ohio Northern University;Williams College;andBrown University.In 1998 he helped found the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy atOhio State Universityto encourage public service. The institute merged with OSU's School of Public Policy and Management to become the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. He held anadjunct professorshipat the school.In February 2015, it was announced that it would become theJohn Glenn College of Public Affairsin April.

TheGlenn Research Centerat Lewis Field in Cleveland is named after him, and the Senator John Glenn Highway runs along a stretch ofI-480in Ohio across from the Glenn Research Center.Colonel Glenn Highway (which passes Wright-Patterson Air Force Base andWright State UniversitynearDayton, Ohio), John Glenn High School in his hometown of New Concord,Elwood-John H. Glenn High Schoolin the hamlet ofElwood,Town of Huntington,Long Island,New York, and the former Col. John Glenn Elementary inSeven Hills, Ohio,were also named for him.Colonel Glenn Road inLittle Rock, Arkansas,was named for him in 1962.High schools inWestlandandBay City, Michigan;Walkerton, Indiana;andNorwalk, Californiabear Glenn's name.The fireboatJohn H. Glenn Jr.,operated by theDistrict of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Departmentand protecting sections of thePotomacandAnacostia Riverswhich run through Washington, D.C., was named for him, as wasUSNSJohn Glenn(T-MLP-2),amobile landing platformdelivered to the U.S. Navy on March 12, 2014.In June 2016, the Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, was renamedJohn Glenn Columbus International Airport.Glenn and his family attended the ceremony, during which he spoke about how visiting the airport as a child had kindled his interest in flying.On September 12, 2016,Blue Originannounced theNew Glenn,a rocket.Orbital ATKnamed theCygnusspace capsule used in the NASACRS OA-7mission to the international space station "S.S.John Glenn"in his honor. The mission successfully lifted off on April 16, 2017.

Although never a Scout himself, Glenn heavily endorsedBoy Scouts.His son, John David, attained the coveted rank ofEagle Scoutthat many of Glenn's aviator peers also achieved.

Naval Aviator Astronaut Insignia
Distinguished Flying Cross with three goldstarsand one bronzecluster
Air Medal with one silver and 2 goldstarsand two silverclusters	Navy Presidential Unit Citation	Navy Unit Commendation
Presidential Medal of Freedom	Congressional Space Medal of Honor	NASA Distinguished Service Medal
NASA Space Flight Medal with one oak leaf cluster	Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal	China Service Medal
American Campaign Medal	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with onestar	World War II Victory Medal
Navy Occupation Service Medal with "ASIA" clasp	National Defense Service Medal with one star	Korean Service Medal with two campaign stars
Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)	United Nations Korea Medal	Korean War Service Medal

Legacy

Glenn's public life and legacy began when he received his firstticker-tape paradefor breaking the transcontinental airspeed record.As a senator, he used his military background to write legislation to reduce nuclear proliferation. He also focused on reducing government waste.Buzz Aldrinwrote that Glenn'sFriendship 7flight, "... helped to galvanize the country's will and resolution to surmount significant technical challenges of human spaceflight."

President Barack Obama said, "With John's passing, our nation has lost an icon andMichelleand I have lost a friend. John spent his life breaking barriers, from defending our freedom as a decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, to setting a transcontinental speed record, to becoming, at age 77, the oldest human to touch the stars. "Obama issued a presidential proclamation on December 9, 2016, ordering the US flag to be flown at half-staff in Glenn's memory.NASA administratorCharles Boldensaid: "Senator Glenn's legacy is one of risk and accomplishment, of history created and duty to country carried out under great pressure with the whole world watching".

References

Sources

• Atkinson, Joseph D.; Shafritz, Jay M. (1985).The Real Stuff: A History of NASA's Astronaut Recruitment Program.Praeger special studies. New York: Praeger.ISBN978-0-03-005187-6.OCLC12052375.
• Burgess, Colin (2011).Selecting the Mercury Seven: The Search for America's First Astronauts.Springer-Praxis books in space exploration. New York; London: Springer.ISBN978-1-4419-8405-0.OCLC747105631.
• Burgess, Colin (2015).Friendship 7: The Epic Orbital Flight of John H. Glenn, Jr.New York: Springer.ISBN978-3-319-15653-8.
• Carpenter, M. Scott;Cooper, L. Gordon Jr.;Glenn, John H. Jr.;Grissom, Virgil I.;Schirra, Walter M. Jr.;Shepard, Alan B. Jr.;Slayton, Donald K.(2010) [Originally published 1962].We Seven: By the Astronauts Themselves.New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.ISBN978-1-4391-8103-4.LCCN62019074.OCLC429024791.
• Catchpole, John (2001).Project Mercury: NASA's First Manned Space Programme.London: Springer.ISBN978-1-85233-406-2.
• Glenn, John; Taylor, Nick (1999).John Glenn: A Memoir.New York: Bantam Books.ISBN978-0-553-11074-6.
• Kevles, Betty Ann Holtzmann (2003).Almost Heaven: The Story of Women in Space.New York: Basic Books.ISBN978-0-7382-0209-9.
• Knight, Jonathan (2003).Kardiac Kids: The Story of the 1980 Cleveland Brown.Kent, Ohio: Kent State University.ISBN978-0-87338-761-3.
• Kupperberg, Paul (2003).John Glenn: The First American in Orbit and His Return to Space.New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.ISBN978-0-8239-4460-6.
• Mersky, Peter B. (1983).U.S. Marine Corps Aviation – 1912 to the Present.Annapolis, Maryland: The Nautical and Aviation Publishing Company of America.ISBN978-0-933852-39-6.
• Nayan, Rajiv (September 13, 2013).The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and India.London: Routledge.ISBN978-1-317-98610-2.
• Swenson, Loyd S. Jr.; Grimwood, James M.; Alexander, Charles C. (1966).This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury.The NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.OCLC569889.NASA SP-4201. Archived fromthe originalon June 17, 2010.RetrievedJune 28,2007.
• Tilton, Rafael (2000).John Glenn.San Diego: Lucent Books.ISBN978-1-56006-689-7.
• Wolfe, Tom(1979).The Right Stuff.New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.ISBN978-0-553-27556-8.OCLC849889526.

Further reading

• Fenno, Richard F. Jr (1990).The Presidential Odyssey of John Glenn.Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.ISBN978-0-87187-567-9.
• Shettle, M. L. Jr. (2001).United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II.Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing.ISBN978-0-9643388-2-1.

External links

• United States Congress."John Glenn (id: G000236)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• AppearancesonC-SPAN
• "Colonel John H. Glenn Jr., USMC (Retired)".USMC History Division. Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 13,2017.
• John Glenn's Flight onFriendship 7,MA-6 – complete 5-hour capsule audio recording
• The 1962 documentaryThe John Glenn StoryonYouTube
• John Glenn's Flight on the Space Shuttle, STS-95ArchivedAugust 31, 2006, at theWayback Machine
• John GlennatIMDb
• "Burial Detail: Glenn, John Herschel (Section 35, Grave 1543)".ANC Explorer.Arlington National Cemetery. (Official website).