As he wound down his political career, Sen. John Glenn seemed flummoxed by all the requests that he do something for Ohio. People thought they could learn something from his life.
Although Glenn may have cut back the throttle from his top-gun pilot days, he remained in exceptional shape through the ensuing years, seemingly able to keep at bay the encroachment of time.
Glenn gravitated to young people. He seemed much more relaxed around the younger generation than he ever did when glad-handing on the political circuit, longtime friends have said. In Washington, Glenn was always late, except when he met with young constituents in the Capitol.
“He always had a big interest in the younger part of his constituency,” said M.J. Veno, his former Senate staff director. “He had an affinity for them.”
On Oct. 3, 1997, he announced that he was donating his personal and Senate papers and other artifacts to The Ohio State University. In addition, the university’s board of trustees named Glenn a University Honors Distinguished Fellow and appointed him an adjunct professor in both the School of Public Policy and Management and the department of Political Science.
“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest,” he said that day.
Though Glenn chose Ohio State as a repository for his artifacts and to establish public policy educational opportunities, he made sure that he and Annie’s alma mater, Muskingum College, and also the Ohio Center for Science and Industry, were involved, including access to his memorabilia and personal and official papers.
Glenn’s passion for civic engagement coupled with an opportunity to kindle a fire within students for civic ideals was evident in his letters and documents from 1997, when he announced his retirement after four terms in the U.S. Senate. Glenn underscored his intent to dedicate his time toward dispelling “the apathy, mistrust and outright cynicism among our young people,” which he saw as “a looming danger for the future of the country.”
The day he announced the donation of his artifacts to the university, he expressed his views about playing a vigorous role at Ohio State.
“One of the great strengths of Ohio has been its small colleges and large universities," Glenn said. "I'm simply glad that I will be able to play an active role and contribute to the fine tradition of higher education in Ohio. I've had a number of different careers in my life, but I think this new one could be the most important to the future of our country.”
He said he chose Ohio State because he wanted to create a place that would stimulate young people’s enthusiasm for public service rather than establish a museum that focused only on his own accomplishments and legacy.
So, with the donation of Glenn’s papers came the idea for the establishment of an institute linked to him where his memorabilia and papers would be a resource for teaching and research.
Inspiring Young People
On Sept. 18, 1998, the university formally announced the inauguration of the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.
Glenn’s inspiring speech that day prompted a standing ovation. “If my experience can help inspire young people to dedicate themselves to committed citizenship, I’m glad to help,” he said. “Public service is an honorable profession, almost akin to being in the ministry.”
The Glenn Institute opened in 2000, landing renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin as the inaugural speaker. The institute trained public sector managers and started the Washington Academic Internship Program for college juniors and seniors and a High School Internship Program for seniors in Franklin County.
Glenn’s energetic involvement and the fact that he maintained an office in Page Hall was a boon that further enriched the academic accomplishments of the Glenn College, said Deborah Merritt, the first permanent director of the Glenn Institute.
“Having the John Glenn name alone would mean a lot for any university and school of public affairs,” Merritt said. “But to have that person actually involved is worth 10 times as much. He was there to give his thoughts and insights, and he talked to students.
“Everybody is a bit more inspired when someone like Glenn is around,” she said.
Former Glenn School director Charles Wise called Glenn’s dedication “tireless” and said he constantly provided ideas and counsel to help the school achieve its goals. His commitment to public service was “an inspiration that infused all we did at the Glenn School.”
Dedicating the John Glenn College of Public Affairs
On July 1, 2006, the Glenn Institute merged with Ohio State's School of Public Policy and Management to form the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. On Jan. 30, 2015, The Ohio State University’s Board of Trustees voted to grant the Glenn School college status, making it the 15th college at the university. (Photo, above: Glenn speaks at the college dedication ceremony.) The John Glenn College of Public Affairs offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.
The Glenn College today has become a fulcrum for public affairs at the university and is instrumental in advancing the public agenda at local, state, national and international levels.
“The college’s twin goals of encouraging citizenship and developing leadership guide numerous educational, research, training, technical assistance and citizen engagement programs,” said former Glenn School director Charles Wise. “And its programs are equipping graduates as citizen-leaders or public service professionals to work on a variety of public policy problems.”
“Having the John Glenn name gives it (the John Glenn College of Public Affairs) so much more identity and definition to help it grow,” said Michael L. Gillette, an author and oral history expert who was involved in the early planning for the Glenn Institute at Ohio State and now is a member of the college’s Board of Distinguished Visitors. “The college has really given the campus a dramatic increase in the focus on public service and public policy. It gives students a firsthand look at service in government.”
And the Glenn College serves as a nucleus to help elevate the important essence of public affairs and public management, said Anand Desai, an interim director of the Glenn School for six months. Having Glenn on board was a blessing, he said.
“He is a national icon, and he was very valuable in a variety of different ways,” Desai said. “He was very generous with his time, and he regularly gave talks in classes.”
And there is no doubt about Glenn’s depth of commitment to public service, said Herb Asher, the first director of the Glenn Institute and a professor emeritus of political science at Ohio State who is now a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at the Glenn College.
“He had a set of beliefs about the nature of citizenship and the role an individual should be playing in their governance,” Asher said. For Glenn, he added, this philosophy encompasses much more than just elected officials. It means everyone.
“He really recognized that for government and the Constitution to be more than a piece of paper, it needs dedicated and committed people every day to bring values to American lives,” Asher said. “He is really an inspiration.”
When Glenn passed away in 2016, Glenn College Dean Trevor Brown said the state of Ohio, the nation and the world lost a hero, and the Glenn College and The Ohio State University lost a friend.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the goal of propelling humanity forward through education in his name,” Brown said. “We are proud to carry on his legacy of public service by inspiring young people to serve the greater good and to shaping and molding the next generation of public leaders.”