John Glenn

John H. Glenn Jr (1921-2016) was an American astronaut and U.S. Senator. In the early 1940s, Glenn trained as a Marine fighter pilot and flew 59 combat missions during World War II and 63 missions during the Korean War. Glenn was one of the original seven astronauts in the United States’s first human spaceflight program, Project Mercury, whose goal was to put a human into Earth’s orbit and return safely to Earth. In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth, circling the planet three times in the Mercury capsule Friendship 7. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1965, Glenn pursued his interest in politics. He served Ohio for four consecutive terms in the United States Senate, from 1974 until 1999.

Democratic Senator from Ohio

During his quarter-century in Congress, Glenn focused on nuclear non-proliferation and reforms against wasteful government spending. He served on both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 1998, the 77-year-old Glenn announced his plans to retire from Congress, humorously observing that “…there is still no cure for the common birthday.”

Back into Orbit

The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio made John Glenn a Mason at sight in 1978. Twenty years later Glenn received the Scottish Rite’s 33^rd degree. A month after, at age 77, Glenn returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest person to go into space, a record that stands. During the nearly nine-day mission, Glenn was the subject of several scientific experiments intended to observe the effect of space travel on someone of his advanced age.  As a space pioneer and a Senator who sought to legislate toward a better world, John Glenn has inspired generations.

Photo Caption: John Glenn in Orbit, 1962. NASA.