John Glenn

John Glenn
U.S. Senate Historical Office · Public domain · source
Name	John Glenn
Caption	Official portrait, 1999
Birth date	18 July 1921
Birth place	Cambridge, Ohio, U.S.
Death date	8 December 2016
Death place	Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Marine aviator, NASA astronaut, U.S. Senator
Spouse	Annie Glenn (m. 1943)
Party	Democratic
Education	Muskingum University (BS), University of Maryland (attended)
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Space Medal of Honor, Distinguished Flying Cross (6), Air Medal (18)

John Glenn. A pioneering Marine Corps aviator, he became a national hero as the first American to orbit the Earth during the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. His subsequent career as a United States Senator from Ohio for twenty-four years was followed by a historic return to space aboard the Space Shuttle *Discovery* at age seventy-seven. Glenn's life bridged the eras of early aviation, the Space Race, and modern NASA operations, cementing his legacy as an iconic figure in 20th-century American history.

Early life and education

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born in Cambridge, Ohio, and raised in the nearby town of New Concord. He developed an early interest in aviation and earned a private pilot's license while still in high school. Glenn attended Muskingum University in New Concord, where he studied engineering and was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. His college education was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor, prompting him to enlist in the United States Navy's aviation cadet program in 1942, though he later transferred to the United States Marine Corps.

Military and NASA career

During World War II and the Korean War, Glenn flew F4U Corsair and F9F Panther fighter aircraft, completing 149 combat missions and earning several Distinguished Flying Crosses and Air Medals. After the wars, he became a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center in Maryland. In 1957, he set a transcontinental speed record flying an F8U Crusader from Los Alamitos to New York. Selected in 1959 as one of the "Mercury Seven" astronauts for NASA's Project Mercury, he piloted the Friendship 7 spacecraft on February 20, 1962, completing three orbits and solidifying his status as an American icon. He retired from NASA and the Marine Corps in 1964 with the rank of colonel.

Political career

After an unsuccessful bid for the United States Senate in 1964, Glenn eventually won election in 1974, serving as a Democratic senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999. In the Senate, he served as chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and was a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He was a key figure in non-proliferation efforts, co-authoring the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978, and was a strong advocate for NASA funding and scientific research. Glenn sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 but lost to former Vice President Walter Mondale.

Later life and legacy

After retiring from the Senate, Glenn remained active in public life, serving on various corporate and academic boards, including at his alma mater, Muskingum University. In a historic return to space, he flew as a Payload Specialist aboard the Space Shuttle *Discovery* on the STS-95 mission in 1998, becoming the oldest person to travel in space. He was a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University and John Glenn International Airport in Columbus are named in his honor, and his spacecraft, Friendship 7, is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C..

Personal life

Glenn married his childhood sweetheart, Annie Glenn (née Castor), in 1943, and they remained married for 73 years until his death. The couple had two children, John David and Carolyn Ann. Annie was a renowned advocate for people with communication disorders, and they were both deeply involved in their community of New Concord and with The Ohio State University. Glenn was an active Presbyterian and a member of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Ohio. He died on December 8, 2016, at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery following a state funeral.

Category:American astronauts Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:United States senators from Ohio