A black and white photograph taken in 1970 captures Glenn, with his wife Annie at his side, shaking hands with throngs of supporters at the Dayton Mall while campaigning in the primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
» PHOTOS : Sen. John Glenn visits the Miami Valley
“A year of a man’s life is too much to put into something like this and lose,” Glenn was quoted as saying a week before the primary vote.
But despite numerous personal appearances and a “97 per cent name identification among Ohio voters,” according to a Dayton Daily News story, Glenn lost to Howard Metzenbaum.
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Four years later, in 1974, Glenn went defeated Republican Ralph J. Perk for the Senate seat, carrying all 88 Ohio counties. A political career that would span a quarter of a century had begun.
In late October 1976, Sen. Walter Mondale flew into James M. Cox International Airport to take advantage of Glenn’s popularity while he campaigned as Jimmy Carter’s running mate.
Glenn introduced Mondale to the crowd of 2,500 waiting on Courthouse Square, and Mondale called Glenn “one of the greatest senators” in return.
Daytonians turned out in 1980 for re-election dinners and events held for Glenn in the lobby of Winter’s Tower and at the King Cole restaurant.
During that visit, he also attended dedication ceremonies for the Old Post Office building on West Third Street after it was converted into office space for the Lorenz and Williams architectural firm.
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“There is a good feeling knowing that a valuable and historic building is being saved,” he said. “It shows also how a combined effort of local and federal officials can work together effectively to realize positive projects.”
At the end of November 1983, deep into his second term as Senator, Glenn returned to Dayton for several appearances and had tough words for President Ronald Reagan.
Glenn accused the Reagan administration of “bringing arms talks to a standstill and promoting a Cold War rhetoric that has frightened our people,” according to the Dayton Daily News. “The world is not a Western movie, and our president can’t just shoot from the hip,” Glenn said.
Inside the Arcade Square that evening, the Oakwood-Kettering Banjo Band performed for 300 people who had paid $15 to $25 each to meet and greet the senator. He received the loudest applause when he called for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
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Glenn, accompanied by his wife Annie, toured the National Museum of the United States Air Force in April 1984 before meeting with local newspaper writers for a couple of hours. He brought a six-pack of beer to the meeting in an apparent inside joke between himself and the reporters.
A Dayton Daily News headline at the time stated Glenn was rebounding from a “failed presidential bid” and the conversation turned to the Ohioans that had supported him in that effort.
“People attach themselves to your candidacy and they’re very loyal,” he said. “I feel that disappointment just as much as they do.”
» READ MORE: John Glenn, the 'last true national hero,' dead at 95
Stumping for his third U.S. Senate term back at the Old Post Office in 1986, Glenn criticized conservatives who said the Bible called for opposition to abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment.
“The last thing this country needs is to have the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John being rewritten by Meese, Helms, Reagan and Falwell,” he said, referring to then Attorney General Edwin Meese, Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, President Ronald Reagan and Moral Majority founder Jerry Falwell.
The national hero went on to win a fourth U.S. Senate term in 1992 and continued serving the people of Ohio until his retirement.
“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet,” he said, “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.”
ABOUT THIS FEATURE
HISTORY EXTRA is a weekly pictorial history feature showcasing the Miami Valley’s rich heritage. If you have a unique set of historic photos found in your parents’ or grandparents’ attic that depicts the past in the Miami Valley, contact Lisa Powell at 937-225-2229 or at Lisa.Powell@coxinc.com.
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