JohnGlennBody
Mourners view the body of John Glenn, who became one of the 20th century's greatest explorers as the first American to orbit Earth and later as the world's oldest astronaut, in addition to a long career as a U.S. senator, at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 16, 2016. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk

John Glenn, a former Ohio senator who was better known around the world as the first American to orbit Earth in 1962, died Dec. 8, aged 95. A memorial ceremony celebrating his extraordinary life and many achievements will take place at Mershon Auditorium in the Ohio State University (OSU) at 2 p.m. EST, Saturday, Dec. 17.

Glenn was associated with the university a long time, though he never studied there, having dropped out of college to enlist when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor during World War II. Toward the end of his last term as senator, Glenn founded the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy, which eventually merged with OSU’s School of Public Policy & Management, and in 2015, became the university’s 15th college under the name of John Glenn School of Public Affairs.

His body had been kept in state at the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda from noon to 8 p.m. Friday. At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, a platoon of Marines will escort the body of the former Marine fighter pilot to the auditorium where the memorial ceremony will be held.

Tickets for the ceremony are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and are available here. No bags would be allowed inside, and seating must be completed by 1:30 p.m. The entire ceremony will also be live-streamed and can be watched here.

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