Coming Sunday
Students, staff at OSU reflect on a life dedicated to service
Elizabeth Paice was hunkered down in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs on Friday, studying for finals. Behind her was a floor-to-ceiling photo of the Ohio State University college’s namesake, dressed in his Mercury flight suit.
Paice, 30, who’s pursuing a master’s degree in public administration, saw the former astronaut and U.S. senator a couple of times around the college in Page Hall, but she never Tribute to John Glenn A special section
had the opportunity to speak with Glenn, who died Thursday afternoon.
Still, Glenn did her a favor once. Every now and then, Glenn and his wife, Annie, would raffle off their OSU football tickets. Paice won a pair last year.
Yet another example of the one word that Paice said illustrated Glenn’s character:
“At that point in your life, when you would easily be expected to retire, he was dedicated to students and learning,” said Paice, of Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Kathy Dancey was Glenn’s secretary at Page Hall. She said Glenn was so willing to talk with anyone who approached him that Dancey had to manage his schedule of visitors.
A student stopped by Glenn’s office earlier Friday morning to mention how much it meant to have once spoke to the Ohio legend. “He was in tears,” said Dancey, who was Glenn’s secretary for eight years.
“He was exactly what you hoped he would be,” said college spokesman Hank Wilson. “He was always thinking of ways to benefit the state. He was on the forefront of everything.”
Glenn often talked to engineering and aviation classes, encouraging students to look forward, Wilson said.
“I’ll leave the legacy to other people,” Glenn once said in an interview. “I’m more interested with what’s going on now and how we can help impact that.”
Arcanson Tench was in Glenn’s office at least once a week to vacuum the floor.
Tench, who was pushing a floor polisher in the building’s entryway on Friday, said although he never met Glenn, he was proud to work in the building where he taught, simply because “he was a great man.”
University archivist Tamar Chute and her colleagues were busy on Friday selecting mementos from Glenn’s career as a fighter pilot, astronaut and U.S. senator. The items, which Glenn left to Ohio State, will be on display beginning Tuesday afternoon at the Main Library on the Oval.
The items include Glenn’s World War II aviator hat and goggles, as well as a piece of the heat shield from the Friendship 7 capsule in which he orbited Earth in 1962.
At COSI across from Downtown, visitors can view a permanent display about Glenn the astronaut, which includes a replica of the capsule.
“He was a supporter of COSI from the very beginning,” said spokeswoman Jaclyn Reynolds. The science theater there is named for him.
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board will meet Monday to approve an exemption that would allow Glenn’s body to lie in state in the Statehouse rotunda.
Governors and former governors, current and past Senate presidents and House speakers, current members of the General Assembly and statewide officeholders are eligible to lie in state there. Anyone else requires an exemption.
Glenn is expected to lie in state for a day. Ohio State also is planning a “Celebration of Life” ceremony at Mershon Auditorium. The dates and times for both public events have yet to be set.
Glenn, a retired Marine colonel, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Gov. John Kasich has ordered U.S. and Ohio flags to fly at half-staff at all state buildings and grounds until sunset on the day of Glenn’s interment. President Barack Obama has ordered the same for all U.S. flags on public buildings and at military posts.