“John Glenn went around the world three times today. Everyone brought radios to school and we listened. We saw it on television too. He’s the first man ever to orbit the earth.”
One of my most cherished possessions is the above entry in my diary on February 20, 1962, when I was 10 years old. Years later, after Peggy and I had the privilege of getting to know Senator John Glenn and his wife, Annie, I asked him to sign my diary. Underneath the entry, he wrote: “Lee- great entry above. Many thanks for your friendship through the years. John Glenn.” Senator Glenn was a mentor, and although Peggy and I were friends with John and Annie for over 30 years, we did our best to hide that we always were a bit awestruck in their presence.
The author Tom Wolfe wrote that John Glenn was "the last true national hero America has ever made." As Dale Butland wrote in the New York Times, “He belonged to an earlier and more innocent era – when we trusted our institutions, thought government could accomplish big and important things, still believed politics could be a noble profession, and didn’t think that ticker-tape parades were reserved for World Series or Super Bowl champions.” John Glenn. The Last American Hero.
Although he will be most remembered for his incredible heroism in air and space, I hope that he also will be remembered as a man of courage and conviction on earth, serving as the only four-term U.S. Senator in Ohio history. Senator Glenn and I had conversations about the importance of public service, and it is my hope that all of our students at C|M|Law will find a way to serve the public in their careers.
Cleveland State University’s mission is to “endeavor to serve and engage the public….” Likewise, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law’s vision is “to be distinguished by our commitment to ethical values, social justice, and public service.” In recent months and years, we’ve lost a number oflawyers, each of whom lived lives of very distinguished public service, including Congressman Louis Stokes '53, Senator George Voinovich,and Congressman Steve LaTourette '79. Our outstanding faculty teaches our students- just like John Glenn, Louis Stokes, George Voinovich, and Steve LaTourette -to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and agents of change who live lives of courage and conviction on earth.
Lee
Lee Fisher
Interim Dean and Visiting Professor of Law
216-687-2300