Legislation Honoring John Glenn With Congressional Medal Advances

LAKEWOOD, OH — When John Glenn died in December 2016, one of Ohio's brightest and most well-known stars was extinguished. Now Lakewood's State Representative Nickie Antonio wants to make sure both Glenn and his wife Annie are remembered forever.

Antonio has introduced House Resolution (HR) 193, which urges Congress to honor the couple with the Congressional Gold Medal for their lifetime of public service. The resolution passed the Ohio House on Wednesday.

“John and Annie Glenn’s story is one of public service and mutual dedication through service towards the betterment of their community and country,” said Antonio. “They have been such incredible inspirations to all Ohioans, and I am so pleased that they received this important recognition from the Ohio House of Representatives.”

Glenn, known to a generation as a U.S. senator representing Ohio beginning in 1974, stepped onto the world stage in 1962, when he became the first American to orbit Earth. Prior to his feat, space travel had been thought by the masses to be an impossible dream fueled by arrogance, foolishness or both.

In the midst of the Space Race, which pitted American scientists against Soviet Union scientists, the United States was worried it was ceding the great expanse surrounding Earth to its rival. America was desperate to send a man into space and have him orbit the planet. Enter John Glenn.

Glenn went from man to American hero on Feb. 20, 1962, when he piloted his spaceship the "Friendship 7" into space and orbited Earth three times. Glenn was the third American to enter space but the first to circle the planet.

Relive and remember Glenn's heroics by reading this article.

Glenn ran for Senate in 1970 but was defeated in the primaries. Ever persistent, he came back four years later and this time won office. He served as senator for 25 years from 1974 to 1999. Much of his work in the Senate focused on foreign affairs, and he was one of the lead authors of the 1978 Nonproliferation Act.

Glenn also ran, unsuccessfully, for president in 1984 but didn't make it out of the primaries.

However, Glenn was not done making history. On Oct. 29, 1998, while still serving as a senator, Glenn became the oldest person to go into space. He was 77.

During his last years, Glenn worked with students at Ohio State University. He and his wife founded the John Glenn Institute for Public Service at the school. The institution tries to encourage students to consider a life in public service and to prepare them for that life.

Photo from Glenn's 1962 Orbit, Courtesy of NASA