The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library is lucky to count two items in its collection that belonged to a man who certainly knows his way around our planet. These objects include Brother John H. Glenn Jr.’s Masonic cap and his 33° ring.
On Oct. 23, Active Member M. Todd McIntosh, 33°, presented John H. Glenn, Jr.’s cap to Sovereign Grand Commander David Glattly, as an extended loan to the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library from the Valley of Cincinnati. The cap will join Glenn’s 33° ring in the Museum & Library’s collection, which Glenn gave to the Museum in 2000. In 1998, shortly after Brother Glenn received his Scottish Rite 33rd degree, he wore his 33° ring when he returned to space in the shuttle Discovery at the age of 77.
“We are really excited about telling the story of John Glenn, his many achievements, and his involvement with Scottish Rite,” said Hilary Anderson Stelling, Director of Exhibitions and Collections. “This cap helps us do that.”
Astronaut and former U.S. senator, Brother Glenn, 33°, was the first American to orbit the earth in 1962, circling the planet three times in the Mercury capsule Friendship 7. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1965, Brother Glenn pursued his interest in politics. Starting in 1974, he served Ohio for four consecutive terms in the U.S. Senate.
In 1978, the Grand Master of Ohio made Glenn a Mason at sight, raising him to the degree of Master Mason. Illustrious Brother Glenn still holds the record as the oldest American to participate in a NASA mission.