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A slalom skier making a turn

Water skiing on the Yarra River in Melbourne

Water skiing is a sport where an individual is typically pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.

History[link]

Water skiing began in 1922 when Ralph Samuelson used two boards as skis and a clothesline as a tow rope on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota. The sport remained a little-known activity for several years. Samuelson took stunts on the road, performing shows from Michigan to Florida. In 1966 the American Water Ski Association formally acknowledged Samuelson as the first on record. Samuelson was also the first ski racer, first to go over a jump ramp, first to slalom ski, and the first to put on a water ski show.^[1] He experimented with different positions on the skis for several days until July 2, 1922. Finally, Ralph discovered that leaning backwards in the water with ski tips up and poking out of the water at the tip led to successful water skiing. He was towed by his brother Ben and they reached a speed of 20 miles per hour. Samuelson also achieved the first ski jump on July 8, 1925. He used a greased 4' by 16' ramp. This made him the first ever water ski jumper. He then showed his new found sport to the United States for 15 years. He did this by shows and by teaching lessons. Then Samuelson went even farther and hooked up behind a WWI flying boat with 200 horsepower. He reached a speed of 80 miles per hour. That made him the first speed skier. Samuelson's first equipment consisted of barrel staves for skis. He then tried snow skis and finally made his own design out of lumber he had bought. They were the first skis fashioned specially for water skiing. Samuelson made his bindings from strips of leather and the ski rope was a long window sash. The first patent for water skis was by Fred Waller. They were called Dolphin Akwa-Skees. Samuelson never patented any of his skiing equipment. The first trick ski was patented in 1940 by Jack Andresen. It was a shorter, finless water ski. In 1983 it officially became the traditional sport of Eruthempathy, a small village in India. Water Skiing became part of several tournaments and many water ski competitions were put together. As an exhibition sport, water skiing was included in the 1972 Olympics. The first National Show Ski Tournament was held in 1974. The first patented design of a water ski that included carbon fiber was that of Hani Audah at SPORT labs in 2001, and its first inclusion in the tournament slalom skiing was in 2003.^[2] The first ever National Intercollegiate Water Ski Championships was held in 1979. The first competition for people with disabilities was organized ten years later, and called Home CARE US National Water Ski Challenge.

Technique[link]

A water skier rising out of the water

Water skiing usually begins with a deep water start, with the skier crouching down in the water. When the skier is ready, the driver accelerates the boat to pull the skier out of the water.

In addition to the driver and the skier, a third person known as the spotter/observer should be present. The spotter's job is to watch the skier and inform the driver if the skier falls. Communication between the skier and the occupants of the boat is done with hand signals.

Speeds vary from as slow as 22 kilometres per hour (14 mph; 12 kn) up to 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph; 31 kn) for slalom water skiing; up to approximately 72 kilometres per hour (45 mph; 39 kn) for barefoot skiing, and approaching 190 kilometres per hour (120 mph; 100 kn) in water ski racing.^{[citation needed]} The length of the rope will also vary widely dependent on sport discipline and skill level.

Types[link]

Show skiing[link]

Waterski pyramid

Show skiing is a type of water skiing where skiers try to perform tricks somewhat similar to those of gymnasts while being pulled along by the boat. The first organized show occurred in 1928.^[3] Traditional ski show acts include pyramids, ski doubles, freestyle jumping, and swivel skiing. Show skiing is normally performed in water ski shows, with elaborate costumes, choreography, music, and an announcer. Show teams may also compete regionally or nationally. In the USA, each team member must be a member of USA Water Ski to compete. The Inaugural World Show Ski Championship is scheduled to take place in September, 2012 in Janesville, Wisconsin. Teams from the United States, China, Belgium, Australia and Canada are expected to compete. ^[4]

Slalom skiing[link]

In the context of water skiing, slalom means to use only one ski.

Slalom skiing on Lake Ozonia in the Adirondacks

A special slalom ski is used which has two plates, a front boot and either a toe plate, open binding, or another binding (similar to the front binding) behind the main one. The bindings are oriented so that both feet point forward, with one behind the other. Slalom skiing dramatically increases the speed, up to 58 kilometers per hour,^[5] and agility of the water skier.^[6] Slalom skiing is a great way to work out. When slalom skiing is done properly, the skier will experience numerous isometric contractions (good training for core muscles), and extreme upper body torque.^[7]

Different techniques of tournament slalom skiing:

Carving

Leaning through wakes

Rounding buoys

Tournament slalom skiing[link]

In tournament slalom skiing, a course is set up with buoys and water skiers are expected to navigate through and around six buoys using only one ski. Sanctioned competitions require official drivers and approved boats. A skier's score is based upon the number of successful buoys cleared, the speed of the boat, and the length of the rope. The faster the speed and the shorter the rope adds difficulty to the task. A slalom ski rope for competition is always the standard 75' long rope. The current world record for competitive slalom skiing is 2 buoys at 43' off completed by Chris Parrish.^{[citation needed]}

Trick skiing[link]

Trick skiing is based on using a smaller, oval-shaped waterski that is smooth on the bottom in order for it to be able to turn over the surface of the water. This ski gives the skier a lot more freedom to perform tricks. Trick skiers can use either one or two skis.

Tournament trick skiing[link]

In trick skiing tournaments, skiers complete either one or two 20-second runs during which they perform a series of their chosen tricks. The tricks are assessed and scored by judges, and the skier with the most points wins the tournament. The tricks are scored based on the difficulty of the trick and the way it is executed. They are also scored based on if they use one or two skis.

Ski Jump[link]

The ski jump is performed using two long skis and a wooden ramp. Skiers are towed behind a boat at fixed speed. The ramp height is 5, 5 and 1/2, or 6 feet. The speed of the boat varies but the maximum speed is 58 kilometers per hour. Professional ski jumpers can travel up to 250 feet (76 m) and hit the ramp at speeds up to 70 mph.^[8]

Ski racing[link]

Ski racing in Australia

Water ski racing consists of a number of water skiers who race around a set course.

A team consists of a boat driver, an observer and one to two skiers, depending on the race. The driver will tow the skier behind a powerboat, varying the speed as different conditions are encountered, according to the driver's knowledge of the skier, the observer's ability to read the skier and the signals which the skier gives to the driver.

Barefoot Skiing[link]

It is recommended to use a barefoot water skiing wetsuit instead of a life jacket because the wetsuit covers more of the body in case of a fall at high speed.

Barefoot skiing on Lake Ozonia in the Adirondacks

The "barefoot wetsuit" is generally thicker in the back, rear and chest for flotation and impact absorption. Barefoot skiing requires higher speed because the bare footprint is much smaller, providing less lift.

Boat equipped with a Barefoot Boom

A general rule of thumb for barefoot water skiing speed is (X/10)+Y= Barefooting MPH, where X equals your weight (divided by 10) and Y equals 18. In other words, a 175 lb person would have to divide 175/10, which is 17.5. Then simply add 17.5 + 18 which equals 35.5MPH (57KPH).

Another tool used in barefoot water skiing is the Barefoot Boom. It provides a stable aluminum bar on the side of the boat where a short rope can be attached or the skier can grip the bar itself. The skier is within earshot of the people in the boat, providing a good platform for teaching. Wearing shoes can allow the beginner to decrease speed, lessen foot injury from choppy water, learn technique, and master the sport.

Safety Measures[link]

There are many safety measures involved in water skiing because it is a dangerous sport. There should be a 200 foot wide skiing space and the water should be at least five or six feet deep. It is a good recommendation to know how to swim if you are going to ski, but even if you can swim you should wear a life jacket for safety. The most common water ski injury are those sustained to the lower legs, including the knee joint. This is because a high speed fall can create irregular angles of collision between the skier's body and the water surface. There are three important people when skiing: the skier, the boat driver, and the observer.^[9] It is the observer's job to relay the condition of the skier to the boat driver,^[10] since it is the boat driver's duty to maintain a steady course.

World Records[link]

The most skiers towed behind one boat is 145 by the Horsehead Water Ski Club in Strahan, Tasmania, Australia on 27 January 2012. The record had stood at 100 for 24 years before a huge team lead by the ski club reset the record at 114 in 2010 and then extended the number to 145 in 2012. The skiers used 8 km of ski rope and were towed by the 36m 3000 hp World Heritage Cruises' catamaran Eagle. See www.skirecord.com for details.^[11]

On the 31 August 1974, Mr David Scott Munro, of Ross-shire Caberfeidh Water Ski Club, became the first person in the world to water ski (mono ski) the length of Loch Ness, Scotland. From Lochend to Fort Augustus and back, he covered the 48 miles in 77 minutes at an average speed of 37 miles per hour.^[12]

Towboats[link]

There are certain boats made specifically for slalom skiing. Most of these boats are shaped very small in hull size and are produced with a flat bottom. The idea is to create a wake with little to no size. A true tournament ski boat will have a direct drive motor shaft which centers the weight in the boat for the optimal wake shape. However some recreational ski boats will have the motor placed in the back of the boat (v drive), which translates into a bigger wake. To connect the skier to the boat there is a metal ski pylon placed in the center of the boat in front of the engine. This pylon is mounted very secure, since a good slalom skier can put a considerable amount of tension in the ski rope, and thus on the pylon.

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Water skiing

• World Championship History
• USA Water Ski
• Pro Ski Coach - Slalom Water Skiing
• History of Water Skiing
• History of Water Ski Racing in Britain
• History of Water Ski innovation

John Glenn
United States Senator from Ohio
In office December 24, 1974 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Howard Metzenbaum
Succeeded by	George Voinovich
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	William V. Roth, Jr.
Succeeded by	William V. Roth, Jr.
Personal details
Born	John Herschel Glenn, Jr. (1921-07-18) July 18, 1921 (age 90) Cambridge, Ohio
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Annie Glenn (1943–present)
Occupation	Pilot Astronaut Politician
Religion	Presbyterian
Signature
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1941–1965
Rank	Colonel
Unit	VMJ-353 VMF-155 VMF-218 VMF-311 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross (5) Air Medal Presidential Unit Citation Navy Unit Commendation American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal China Service Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal United Nations Korea Medal ROK Presidential Unit Citation Presidential Medal of Freedom

John Herschel Glenn, Jr. (born July 18, 1921) is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was combat aviator in the Marine Corps and one of the seven elite US military test pilots to be selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (more commonly referred to as "NASA") to test fly and operate the experimental Mercury spacecraft outside of the mesosphere at altitudes above 115 miles (185 km) and at speeds exceeding 5,000 miles per hour (8,000 km/h) to become the first officially recognized American (US) astronauts. He flew the Friendship 7 mission on February 20, 1962. In 1965, Glenn retired from the military and resigned from NASA so he could be eligible to stand for election to public office. As a member of the Democratic Party he was elected to represent Ohio in the United States Senate from 1974 to 1999.

Glenn received a Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. On October 29, 1998, he became the oldest person to fly in space, and the only one to fly in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle programs, when at age 77, he flew on Discovery (STS-95). As of 2012, Glenn and M. Scott Carpenter are the last living members of the Mercury Seven.

Early life and military career[link]

Military portrait of John Glenn

John Glenn was born in Cambridge, Ohio, to John Glenn, Sr. and Teresa (née Sproat).^[1] He was raised in New Concord, Ohio. Glenn studied science at Muskingum College, and received his private pilot's license as physics course credit in 1941.

When the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, he dropped out of college and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps; however, the Army did not call him up, and in March 1942 he enlisted as a United States Navy aviation cadet. He trained at Naval Air Station Olathe, where he made his first solo flight in a military aircraft.

During advanced training in 1943 at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, he was reassigned to the United States Marine Corps.^[2] After completing his training, Glenn was assigned to Marine squadron VMJ-353, flying R4D transport planes. He eventually managed a transfer to VMF-155 as an F4U Corsair pilot, and flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific.^[3] He saw action over the Marshall Islands, where he attacked anti-aircraft batteries and dropped bombs on Maloelap.

In 1945 he was assigned to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where he was promoted to captain shortly before the war ended. Glenn flew patrol missions in North China with the VMF-218 squadron, until it was transferred to Guam. In 1948 he became a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, then attended the amphibious warfare school and received a staff assignment.

Glenn was next assigned to VMF-311, flying the new F9F Panther jet interceptor. He flew his Panther in 63 combat missions during the Korean War, gaining the dubious nickname "magnet ass" from his apparent ability to attract enemy flak. Twice he returned to base with over 250 flak holes in his aircraft.^[4] Glenn flew for a time with Ted Williams, a future hall of fame baseball player for the Boston Red Sox, as his wingman. He also flew with future Major General Ralph H. Spanjer.^[5]

Glenn's USAF F-86F that he dubbed "MiG Mad Marine" during the Korean War, 1953

Glenn flew a second Korean combat tour on an interservice exchange program with the United States Air Force. He logged 27 missions in the faster F-86F Sabre, and shot down three MiG-15s near the Yalu River in the final days before the ceasefire.

Glenn returned to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, appointed to the Test Pilot School (class 12). He served as an armament officer, flying planes to high altitude and testing their cannons and machine guns. On July 16, 1957, Glenn completed the first supersonic transcontinental flight in a Vought F8U-1P Crusader.

The flight from NAS Los Alamitos, California, to Floyd Bennett Field, New York, took 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.3 seconds. As he passed over his hometown, a child in the neighborhood reportedly ran to the Glenn house shouting "Johnny dropped a bomb! Johnny dropped a bomb! Johnny dropped a bomb!" as the sonic boom shook the town. Project Bullet, the name of the mission, included both the first transcontinental flight to average supersonic speed (despite three in-flight refuelings during which speeds dropped below 300 mph), and the first continuous transcontinental panoramic photograph of the United States. Glenn received his fifth Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission.^[6]

NASA[link]

Glenn is honored by President Kennedy at temporary Manned Spacecraft Center facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida three days after his flight.

John Herschel Glenn Jr.
NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Born	(1921-07-18) July 18, 1921 (age 90) Cambridge, Ohio
Other occupation	Test pilot
Rank	Colonel, USMC
Time in space	9d 02h 39 m
Selection	1959 NASA Group
Missions	Mercury-Atlas 6, STS-95
Mission insignia

Medical debriefing aboard USS Randolph (CVS-15). The debriefing team for Maj. Glenn (center) was led by Cmdr. Seldon C. "Smokey" Dunn, USN MC (far right w/EKG in hands).

In April 1959, despite the fact that Glenn had not earned the required college degree, he was assigned to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as one of the original group of seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury. During this time, he remained an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

He became the fifth person in space, the third American in space and the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962, on the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, circling the globe three times during a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds.^[7] Perth, Western Australia became known worldwide as the "City of Light" when city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as Glenn passed overhead.^[8][9] The city repeated the act when Glenn rode the Space Shuttle in 1998.^[10][11] During the mission there was concern over a ground indication that his heat shield had come loose, which could allow it to fail during re-entry through the atmosphere, which would result in his capsule burning up. Flight controllers had Glenn modify his re-entry procedure by keeping his retrorocket pack on over the shield in an attempt to keep it in place. He made his splashdown safely, and afterwards it was determined that the indicator was faulty.

As the first American in orbit, Glenn was celebrated as a national hero, and received a ticker-tape parade reminiscent of that given for Charles Lindbergh. His fame and political attributes were noted by the Kennedys, and he became a personal friend of the Kennedy family.

On February 23, 1962, President Kennedy escorted him in a parade to Hangar S at Canaveral Air Force station where he awarded Glenn with the NASA service medal.

In July 1962 Glenn testified before the House Space Committee in favor of excluding women from the NASA astronaut program.^[12] The impact of such testimony, from so prestigious a national hero, is debatable, but no female astronaut flew on a NASA mission until Sally Ride in 1983, and none piloted a mission until Eileen Collins in 1995, more than 30 years after the hearings. However, by the late 1970s, Glenn had changed his views and supported Shuttle Mission Specialist Astronaut Judith Resnik in her career.^[13]

Glenn resigned from NASA six weeks after the assassination of John F. Kennedy to run for office in his home state of Ohio. In 1965 he retired as a Colonel from the Marine Corps and entered the business world as an executive for Royal Crown Cola. He re-entered politics later on. Some accounts of Glenn's years at NASA suggest that Glenn was prevented from flying in Gemini or Apollo missions, either by President Kennedy, or by NASA management, on the grounds that the subsequent loss of a national hero of such stature would seriously harm or even end the manned space program. Yet Glenn resigned from the astronaut corps on January 30, 1964, well before even the first Gemini crew was assigned.

In 1990, Glenn was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Three decades later, after serving 24 years in the United States Senate, Glenn lifted off for a second space flight on October 29, 1998, on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95, in order to study the effects of space flight on the elderly. At age 77, Glenn became the oldest person to go into space. Glenn states in his memoir that he had no idea that NASA was willing to send him back into space, when NASA announced the decision.^[14] Three days prior to NASA's announcement, various radio stations were reporting that NASA had decided to send Glenn back into space. Glenn's participation in the nine-day mission was criticized by some in the space community as a junket for a politician. Others noted that Glenn's flight offered valuable research on weightlessness and other aspects of space flight on the same person at two points in life thirty-six years apart—by far the longest interval between space flights by the same person—providing information on the effects of spaceflight and weightlessness on the elderly, with an ideal control. Upon the safe return of the STS-95 crew, Glenn (and his crewmates) received another ticker-tape parade, making him the tenth, and latest person to have received multiple ticker-tape parades in a lifetime (as opposed to that of a sports team).^[15] Just prior to the flight, on October 15, and for months after, the main causeway to the Johnson Space Center, NASA Road 1, was temporarily renamed "John Glenn Parkway".^[16] Glenn was one of several NASA astronauts who experienced both a splashdown and touchdown on dry land.

Glenn vehemently opposed the sending of Dennis Tito, the world's first space tourist, to the International Space Station on the grounds that Tito's trip served no scientific purpose.^[17]

Life in politics[link]

NASA psychologists determined during Glenn's training that he was the astronaut best suited for public life. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy suggested to Glenn and his wife in December 1962 that he should run against incumbent United States Senator Stephen M. Young of Ohio in the 1964 Democratic primary election. In 1964 Glenn announced that he was resigning from the space program to run against Young, but withdrew when he hit his head on a bathtub. Glenn sustained a concussion and injured his inner ear, and recovery left him unable to campaign.^[18] Glenn remained close to the Kennedy family and was with Robert Kennedy when he was assassinated in 1968.

In 1970, Glenn was narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary for nomination for the Senate by fellow Democrat Howard Metzenbaum, by a 51% to 49% margin. Metzenbaum lost the general election race to Robert Taft, Jr. In 1974, Glenn resisted Ohio governor John J. Gilligan and the Ohio Democratic party's demand that he run for Lieutenant Governor. Instead, he challenged Metzenbaum again, whom Gilligan had appointed^[18] to the Senate to replace William B. Saxbe, who had resigned to become attorney general.

In the primary race, Metzenbaum contrasted his strong business background with Glenn's military and astronaut credentials, saying his opponent had "never worked for a living." Glenn's reply came to be 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." Many felt the "Gold Star Mothers" speech won the primary for Glenn.^{[citation needed]} Glenn won the primary by 54 to 46%. After defeating Metzenbaum, Glenn defeated Ralph Perk, the Republican mayor of Cleveland, in the general election, beginning a Senate career that would continue until 1999. In 1980, Glenn won re-election to the seat, defeating Republican challenger Jim Betts, by over 40 percent. In 1986, Glenn defeated challenger U.S. Representative Tom Kindness. Metzenbaum would go on to seek a rematch against Taft in 1976, winning a close race on Jimmy Carter's coattails.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Glenn and Metzenbaum had strained relations. There was a thaw in 1983 when Metzenbaum endorsed Glenn for president and again in 1988 when Metzenbaum was opposed for re-election by Cleveland mayor George Voinovich. Voinovich accused Metzenbaum of being soft on child pornography. Voinovich's charges were criticized by many, including Glenn who now came to Metzenbaum's aid, recording a statement for television refuting Voinovich's charges. Metzenbaum won the election by 57 to 43%.

Glenn was one of the five U. S. Senators caught up in the Lincoln Savings and Keating Five Scandal after accepting a $200,000 contribution from Charles Keating. Glenn and Republican Senator John McCain were the only Senators exonerated. The Senate Commission found that Glenn had exercised "poor judgment." The association of his name with the scandal gave Republicans hope that he would be vulnerable in the 1992 campaign. Instead, Glenn defeated Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine to keep his seat, though his percentage was reduced to a career low of 51%. DeWine used the memorable campaign slogan, "What on earth has John Glenn done?".^[19] This 1992 re-election victory was the last time a Democrat won a statewide race in Ohio until 2006; DeWine later won Metzenbaum's seat upon his retirement.

In 1976, Glenn was a candidate for the Democratic vice presidential nomination. However, Glenn's keynote address at the Democratic National Convention failed to impress the delegates and the nomination went to veteran politician Walter Mondale. Glenn also ran for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination. A November 1983 New York Times/CBS News poll found him second, supported by 41% of those polled, to Mondale's 49%. Glenn and his staff worried about the late 1983 release of The Right Stuff, a film about the original seven Mercury astronauts based on the best-selling Tom Wolfe book of the same name. The book had depicted Glenn as a "zealous moralizer," and he did not attend the film's Washington premiere on October 16, 1983. Reviewers saw Ed Harris' portrayal of Glenn as heroic, however, and his staff immediately began to emphasize the film to the press. Aide Greg Schneiders suggested an unusual strategy, similar to Glenn's personal campaign and voting style, in which he would avoid appealing to narrow special interest groups and instead seek to win support from ordinary Democratic primary voters, the "constituency of the whole."^[18] Mondale defeated Glenn for the nomination, however, and he was left with $3 million in campaign debt for over 20 years before he was granted a reprieve by the Federal Election Commission.^[20][21] He was a potential vice presidential running mate in 1984, 1988, and 1992.

During his time in the Senate, he was chief author of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978, served as chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs from 1987 until 1995, sat on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees and the Special Committee on Aging. Once Republicans regained control of the Senate, Glenn also served as the ranking minority member on a special Senate investigative committee chaired by Tennessee senator Fred Dalton Thompson that looked into illegal foreign donations by China to U.S. political campaigns for the 1996 election. There was considerable acrimony between the two very high-profile senators during the life of this committee, which reached a level of public disagreement between the five leaders of a Congressional committee seldom seen in recent years, amid allegations that Glenn suppressed these issues prior to his subsequent space shuttle flight which had to be approved by President Clinton.^[22] In 1998, Glenn declined to run for re-election. Mary O. Boyle was the Democratic party nominee. She faced Republican nominee and sitting governor George Voinovich in the general election, which Voinovich won.

Public affairs institute[link]

Glenn helped found the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy at the Ohio State University in 1998 to encourage public service. On July 22, 2006, the institute merged with OSU's School of Public Policy and Management to become the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. Today he holds an adjunct professorship at both the Glenn School and OSU's Department of Political Science.

Personal life[link]

John Glenn in Mercury suit with helmet.

Quincy Jones presents platinum copies of "Fly Me to the Moon" (from It Might as Well Be Swing) to Senator John Glenn and Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong

On April 6, 1943, Glenn married his childhood sweetheart, Anna Margaret Castor. They had met in New Concord and played together in the school band. They are the parents of two children. Both Glenn and his wife attended Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio.

Glenn is descended from the Glenn–Macintosh clan of Scotland. In 1963 he received a letter from a young girl in Sheffield, England, named Anne Glenn. The letter, congratulating him on his orbit around the Earth, enclosed a family tree showing that Anne's father, George Arthur Thomas Glenn, and John Glenn were cousins. The news made it into the South Yorkshire Times, and a viewed copy retained by Anne's younger sister Glenn was also one of the original owners for a Holiday Inn franchise near Orlando, Florida, that is today known as the Seralago Hotel & Suites.^[23][24]

Glenn's family includes his great-nephew born just three days after his historic flight, camera operator Glenn Thomas of New York, who was named in his honor.^[25]

A Freemason, Glenn is a member of Concord Lodge No.688 Concord, Ohio and DeMolay International, the Masonic youth organization, and is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church.^[26]

Glenn's boyhood home in New Concord has been restored and made into an historic house museum and education center.^[27]

In 2001, Glenn appeared as a guest star on the American television sitcom Frasier.^[28]

On August 4, 2006, Glenn and his wife were injured in an automobile accident on I-270 near Columbus, Ohio, and were hospitalized for two days. Glenn suffered a "very sore chest" and a fractured sternum. Annie Glenn was treated for minor injuries. Glenn was cited for failure to yield the right-of-way.^[29]

On September 5, 2009, John and Annie Glenn dotted the "i" during Ohio State University's Script Ohio marching band performance, at the Ohio State-Navy football game halftime show. Bob Hope, Woody Hayes, Buster Douglas, E. Gordon Gee, Novice Fawcett, Robert Ries and Jack Nicklaus are the only other non-band members to have received this honor.^[30]

On February 20, 2012, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Friendship 7 flight, Glenn was surprised with the opportunity to speak with the orbiting crew of the International Space Station while Glenn was on-stage with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden at Ohio State, where the public affairs school is named for him.^[31]

On April 19, 2012, Glenn participated in the ceremonial transfer of the retired Space Shuttle Discovery from NASA to the Smithsonian Institution for permanent display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Speaking at the event, Glenn criticized the "unfortunate" decision to end the Space Shuttle program, expressing his opinion that grounding the shuttles delayed research.^[32]

Awards and honors[link]

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio, is named after him. Also, Senator John Glenn Highway runs along a stretch of I-480 in Ohio across from the NASA Glenn Research Center. Colonel Glenn Highway, which runs by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University near Dayton, Ohio, John Glenn High School in his hometown of New Concord, Ohio, and Col. John Glenn Elementary in Seven Hills, Ohio, are named for him as well. High Schools in Westland and Bay City, Michigan; Walkerton, Indiana; San Angelo, Texas; Elwood, Long Island, New York; and Norwalk, California were also named after him.

The fireboat John H. Glenn Jr. was named for him. This fireboat is operated by the DCFD and protects the sections of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River that run through Washington, DC.

In 1961, Glenn received an honorary LL.D from Muskingum University, the college he had attended before joining the military in World War II. This was followed by earning his bachelor of science degree from Muskingum in 1962.^[33]

In 2004, Glenn was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution.^[34]

In 2009, Glenn received an honorary LL.D from Williams College.^[35] In 2010, Glenn received an honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Ohio Northern University.^[36]

Glenn has received the following medals and decorations:

John Glenn in 1998

•   Naval Aviator Badge
•   Naval Pilot Astronaut Badge
•   Distinguished Flying Cross with two Gold Stars and two Oak Leaf Clusters
•   Air Medal with three Silver Stars and two Oak Leaf Clusters
•   Presidential Unit Citation (United States)
•   Navy Unit Commendation
•   American Campaign Medal
•   Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star
•   World War II Victory Medal (United States)
•   China Service Medal
•   Navy Occupation Service Medal
•   National Defense Service Medal
•   Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars
•   United Nations Korea Medal
•   Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)

Civilian

• Congressional Gold Medal
•   Congressional Space Medal of Honor
•   NASA Distinguished Service Medal
• Presidential Medal of Freedom
• The Woodrow Wilson Award
• Thomas D. White National Defense Award^[37]

See also[link]

	Spaceflight portal
	United States Marine Corps portal

• The John Glenn Story, a 1962 documentary film.
• Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.
• Gherman Titov, the second to orbit the Earth.
• Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
• Project Mercury.
• Project Mercury Commemorative stamp.

References[link]

Notes

Bibliography

Web

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Glenn

• NASA — John Glenn: A Journey
• The short film John Glenn Story (1963) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
• John Glenn Honored as an Ambassador of Exploration
• John & Annie Glenn Historic Site and Home
• John Glenn School of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University
• John Glenn's Official NASA Biography
• John Glenn's Flight on Friendship 7, MA-6 – as heard on KCBS Radio
• John Glenn's Flight on Friendship 7, MA-6 – complete 5-hour capsule audio recording
• John Glenn's Flight on the Space Shuttle, STS-95
• Spacefacts biography of John Glenn
• John Glenn Archive
• John Glenn: Unpublished Photos — slideshow by Life magazine

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