Already famous as a highly decorated military pilot and astronaut when he arrived in the Senate in 1974, John Glenn sought to become a leader in government. Glenn represented Ohio for 25 years, until his retirement in 1999. As chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs he worked to make government more efficient. As a member of the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees he put his energies into the pursuit of a strong foreign policy. In 1976 Glenn traveled to China with Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, a trip recalled in an interview with former secretary of the Senate Frank Valeo. Glenn’s heart, however, remained with science, and he became known as a tireless advocate for science and health research. In 1998, while still a senator, Glenn returned to space at the age of 77 to study the effects of space on the aging.
