Astronaut Scholarship Foundation founder, former Astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at the age of 95. Glenn was the last remaining member of the Mercury Seven – the iconic group of astronauts known for their charismatic charm and adventurous spirit. As the last of the original space pioneers, Glenn’s death increases the expansive void left by the loss of these legendary American heroes.

Glenn won the hearts of the American people when he secured the nation’s position in the Space Race by becoming the first U.S. astronaut to orbit Earth, completing three orbits during his five-hour mission as the pilot of the Friendship 7 in 1962. In 1998, at the age of 77, he returned to space on a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery serving in the research of the effects of space on the aging human body.

While best known for his achievements as an astronaut, Glenn also served his country through an extensive career in public service as a US Senator for Ohio. Upon retiring from the senate, he and his wife Annie founded the John Glenn Institute for Public Service at the Ohio State University to improve the quality of public service and to encourage young people to pursue careers in government.

A visionary, Glenn – in collaboration with the other members of the Mercury Seven – established the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in 1984 as a way to use the opportunities and unique experiences they had been given to inspire students to pursue their education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and to keep American in the forefront of technology Over the past 30 years, ASF has awarded more than $4 million in Astronaut Scholarships to the top students throughout the nation studying the STEM fields.

Glenn is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife of 73 years, Annie, his son David and daughter Lyn and two grandchildren, Daniel and Zach.