Graduate student aims at lofty goals for honoring John Glenn

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A graduate student from suburban New York has made it his mission to fight for a series of tangible honors for the late astronaut John Glenn, including a statue, a portrait and having Glenn's Ohio birthplace on the National Historic Register.

It's not rocket science, but 25-year-old Adam Sackowitz's goals are lofty.

When Ohio added a Holocaust memorial to its Statehouse grounds in 2014, it was after a three-year fight waged by the governor, $2.1 million in mostly private fundraising and no shortage of political conflict. Getting a birthplace recognized nationally, particularly one where the famous resident spent only two years, also is a challenge.

Sackowitz, of Long Island, has the devotion of a groupie when it comes to Glenn, and he believes the space hero's legacy can make it all happen.

Glenn died Dec. 8 at age 95. He was the first American to orbit Earth, in 1962, and became the oldest person in space at age 77 in 1998. He was also a decorated war hero, a record-setting aviator and a long-time U.S. senator.

"I strongly believe we need to have something prominent in Ohio, and people have been very supportive," said Sackowitz, who is getting his master's degree in history at St. John's University. "John Glenn really inspired me. He left a mark on me, and the whole country. He brought people together. The country in many ways is divided now, but he was loved by everyone. You saw that at the memorial service."

Glenn lay in repose at the Ohio Statehouse longer than any other figure in history, including slain President Abraham Lincoln. Thousands of people came to pay their respects and 2,500, including Vice President Joe Biden, attended a memorial service at Ohio State University the next day.