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{{short description|American astronaut and politician (1931–1982)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}

factoids

|birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.1982278|30}}|death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.Mount Olivet Cemetery (Wheat Ridge, Colorado)>Mount Olivet CemeteryRepublican Party (United States)>Republican University of Colorado, Boulder (Bachelor of Science>BS)Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Master of Science)University of Hartford (Master of Business Administration>MBA)|awards = Presidential Medal of FreedomNASA Distinguished Service Medal|allegiance = {{USA}}United States Air Force}}|serviceyears = 1953–1956 (active)1956–1965 (reserve)Captain (United States O-3)>Captain|unit = Massachusetts Air National Guard (1957–1960)Connecticut Air National Guard (1960–1965) |module =

factoids

}}John Leonard Swigert Jr. (August 30, 1931 – December 27, 1982) was an American NASA astronaut, test pilot, mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, United States Air Force pilot, and politician. In April 1970, as command module pilot of Apollo 13, he became one of 24 astronauts who flew to the Moon.NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=CVkvAAAAIBAJ&pg=1306%2C4053722, Beaver County Times, Ex-astronaut’s challenge, Eicher, Diane, December 19, 1982, B2, Google News, NEWS,www.nytimes.com/1982/12/29/obituaries/jack-swigert-astronaut-elected-to-congress-dies.html, The New York Times, Jack Swigert, astronaut elected to Congress, dies, Treaster, Joseph B., December 29, 1982, June 30, 2018, Ironically, due to the “slingshot” route around the Moon they chose to safely return to Earth, the Apollo 13 astronauts flew farther away from Earth than any other astronauts before or since, though they had to abort the Moon landing. Before joining NASA in 1966, Swigert was a civilian test pilot and fighter pilot in the Air National Guard. After leaving NASA, he ran for Senate but lost in a primary election against Bill Armstrong. Later he ran for Congress, but while running was diagnosed with cancer. He won the election for Colorado’s new 6th district in 1982, but died before being sworn in.

Early life

John Leonard Swigert Jr. was born on August 30, 1931, in Denver, Colorado, to parents John Leonard Swigert Sr. (1903–1973) and Virginia Swigert (1906–1993). Swigert’s father was an ophthalmologist. At the age of 14, he became fascinated by aviation. While he would have been content just watching planes take off from nearby Combs Field, young Jack became determined to do more than be a spectator. He took on a newspaper route to earn money for flying lessons, and by age 16 he was a licensed private pilot.WEB,www.americaspace.com/?p=66745, For Jack Swigert, On His 83rd Birthday, Carney, Emily, AmericaSpace, November 27, 2017, April 29, 2014, He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and attained the rank of Second Class Scout.WEB,www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/scouting_space.aspx, Scouting and Space Exploration, Boy Scouts of America,www.scouting.org/about/factsheets/scouting_space.aspx," title="web.archive.org/web/20160303213130www.scouting.org/about/factsheets/scouting_space.aspx,">web.archive.org/web/20160303213130www.scouting.org/about/factsheets/scouting_space.aspx, March 3, 2016, dead, WEB,usscouts.org/eagle/eagleastronauts.asp, Astronauts with Scouting experience, US Scouting Service, August 26, 2012, February 9, 2020, He attended Blessed Sacrament School, Regis Jesuit High School, and East High School, from which he graduated in 1949.WEB,www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/swigert_john.pdf, John L. Swigert Jr., NASA Astronaut (Deceased), NASA, June 18, 2021, January 1983, Swigert received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado in 1953, where he also played football for the Buffaloes. He later earned a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Hartford campus) in 1965,NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43310515/hartford_courant/, Astronaut is Honored by Chamber, School, Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut, April 29, 1966, 21, Newspapers.com, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Hartford in 1967.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43311499/hartford_courant/, Astronaut Receives Degree, Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut, June 11, 1967, 42, Newspapers.com, His recreational interests included golf, handball, bowling, skiing, swimming, and basketball. His hobbies included photography.

Flight experience

File:Apollo13 apparatus.jpg|thumb|left|Swigert (right) with the “mailbox” rig improvised to adapt the Apollo 13 command module Odyssey’s square carbon dioxide scrubber cartridges to fit the lunar modulelunar moduleFollowing his graduation from Colorado in 1953, Swigert joined the United States Air Force (USAF). Upon graduation from the Pilot Training Program and Gunnery School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, he was assigned as a fighter pilot in Japan and South Korea. In 1953, he survived his plane crashing into a radar unit on a Korean airstrip.After completing his tour of active duty in the USAF, he served as a jet fighter pilot with the Massachusetts (1957–1960) and Connecticut Air National Guard (1960–1965).NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43823204/abilene_reporternews/, Astronaut Swigert Began Flight Instruction at 14, Abilene Reporter-News, Abilene, Texas, May 17, 1968, B-1, Newspapers.com, Kershaw, Tom, Swigert held a position as engineering test pilot for North American Aviation before joining NASA. He was previously an engineering test pilot for Pratt & Whitney, from February 1957 to June 1964.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43822825/page_e1/, A Tribute: He ‘Bore Holes in the Sky’, Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut, April 14, 1983, Newspapers.com, E1, Pallatto, John, He logged over 7,200 hours in flight, including more than 5,725 hours in jet aircraft.

NASA career

After unsuccessfully applying for NASA’s second and third astronaut selections,{{sfn|Chaikin|1998|p=307}} Swigert was accepted into the NASA Astronaut Corps as part of NASA Astronaut Group 5 in April 1966.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/28240973/the_high_point_enterprise/, 19 New Spacemen Are Named, Thompson, Ronald, The High Point Enterprise, High Point, North Carolina, April 5, 1966, 2A, Newspapers.com, Swigert became a specialist on the Apollo command module: he was one of the few astronauts who requested to be command module pilots.{{sfn|Chaikin|1998|p=307}}Swigert was a member of Apollo 7’s astronaut support crew, the first support crew for an Apollo mission; he served as Capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during the ascent phase of the flight.WEB,www.space.com/20319-jack-swigert-apollo-13-biography.html, Jack Swigert: Apollo 13 Astronaut Turned Politician, Howell, Elizabeth, March 20, 2013, January 28, 2020, Space.com,

Apollo 13

Swigert was one of three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 Moon mission launched April 11, 1970. Originally part of the backup crew for the mission, he was assigned to the mission three days before launch, replacing astronaut Ken Mattingly. The prime crew had been exposed to German Measles (the rubella virus) from Charles Duke and, because Mattingly had no immunity to the disease, NASA did not want to risk him falling ill during critical phases of the flight.{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|p=256}}Apollo 13 was the third crewed lunar-landing attempt, but was aborted after the rupture of an oxygen tank in the spacecraft’s service module. Swigert was the astronaut who first announced, “Houston, we’ve had a problem here”.{{sfn|Lovell|1975}} The statement was then repeated by commander of the flight Jim Lovell. Swigert, along with fellow astronauts Lovell and Fred Haise, traveled around the Moon and returned safely to Earth on April 17 after about 5 days and 23 hours, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom the next day.WEB,www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=2472, Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Apollo 13 Astronauts in Honolulu, The American Presidency Project, January 1, 2017,

Apollo–Soyuz Test Project

NASA Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton, who selected the astronauts, recommended Swigert as command module pilot for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, the first joint mission with the Soviet Union. Slayton felt Swigert deserved another chance to fly after having been selected for Apollo 13 two days before launch, and performing well.{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|p=278}}During 1972, the Apollo 15 postal covers incident caused NASA investigators to inquire into other astronauts. A number of Apollo astronauts, including Swigert, had made agreements with West German stamp dealer Hermann Sieger, who originated the idea for the Apollo 15 covers, to autograph philatelic items in exchange for a payment of about $2,500. Swigert originally denied involvement when interviewed by NASA investigators.{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|p=279}} According to Christopher C. Kraft, the investigators subpoenaed his bank records, finding more funds than expected, and records of a predated charitable donation.{{sfn|Kraft|p=344}} Swigert’s subsequent admission caused NASA Deputy Administrator George M. Low to remove him from Apollo–Soyuz.

Post-NASA career

Aware that his spaceflight career was most likely over, Swigert took a leave of absence from NASA in April 1973 and went to Washington, D.C. to become executive director of the Committee on Science and Astronautics, U.S. House of Representatives.Swigert eventually left NASA and the committee in August 1977 to enter politics.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43299511/the_paducah_sun/, People...In the News, The Paducah Sun, Paducah, Kentucky, September 27, 1977, 3A, Newspapers.com, He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1978, but was soundly defeated in the Republican primary in September by Congressman Bill Armstrong, who was far better known.NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=eiVVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5168%2C2943019, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, UPI, Primaries kind to most incumbents, September 13, 1978, A-1, Google News, In 1979, Swigert became vice president of B.D.M. Corporation in Golden. He left in 1981 to join International Gold and Minerals Limited as vice president for financial and corporate affairs.WEB,www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/12/29/rep-elect-swigert-dies/5f746229-6c2e-498b-a514-7ab426aef1ff/, Rep.-Elect Swigert Dies, Ringle, Ken, December 29, 1982, The Washington Post, January 1, 2018, In February 1982, Swigert left International Gold and Minerals Limited to run for U.S. Congress in the newly created 6th district as a Republican. When a malignant tumor in his right nasal passage was found, he disclosed this to the voters. Doctors told him he would finish radiation treatments on June 15 and make a complete recovery.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43237205/the_daily_newsjournal/, Swigert Runs for Congress, The Daily News-Journal, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, June 2, 1982, 3, Newspapers.com, Associated Press, However, in August, Swigert developed back pain and was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43237866/longview_daily_news/, Ex-Astronaut Swigert Campaigns for Congress, Against Cancer, Longview Daily News, Longview, Washington, October 27, 1982, A4, Newspapers.com, Los Angeles Times, On November 2, 1982, he won the seat with 64% of the popular vote.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43238193/the_orlando_sentinel/, Ex-Astronaut Fights Cancer, Coasts to Seat on Congress, The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Florida, November 4, 1982, A15, Newspapers.com, Associated Press,

Death

On December 19, 1982, seven weeks after his election, he was airlifted from his home in Littleton to Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He died of respiratory failure at its Lombardi Cancer Center on December 27, seven days before the beginning of his congressional term, aged 51.{{sfn|Chaikin|1998|p=606}}NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=vL9PAAAAIBAJ&pg=7024%2C7060665, Ocala Star-Banner, Associated Press, Jack Swigert loses fight against cancer, December 28, 1982, 4D, Google News, NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43237566/the_times/, Ex-Astronaut, Newly Elected to House, Dies, The Times, Shreveport, Louisiana, December 29, 1982, Newspapers.com, 12D, Associated Press, He was the last member-elect of the House to die before taking office until Luke Letlow’s death from COVID-19 in December 2020.Fifteen astronauts, including fellow Apollo 13 crewmates Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, were among the thousand mourners at his full military honors funeral in Denver, presided over by Archbishop James Casey, which included a missing man flyover by A-7 Corsairs of the Colorado Air National Guard.NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=UaAmAAAAIBAJ&pg=4950%2C3651281, The Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, UPI, Astronaut Swigert buried, January 5, 1983, A4, Google News, He is buried alongside his parents in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge.NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=onEcAAAAIBAJ&pg=4892%2C1130882, Victoria Advocate, Victoria, Texas, Associated Press, Ex-astronaut gets eulogized, January 5, 1983, 10D, Google News,

Awards, honors, and organizations

File:Ap13-70-H-496HR.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Swigert during suit-up before the launch of Apollo 13Apollo 13Swigert received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Octave Chanute Award for 1966 for his participation in demonstrating the Rogallo wing as a feasible land landing system for returning space vehicles and astronauts.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/44059912/santa_maria_times/, Astronauts Honored at LA Air Banquet, Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria, California, June 29, 1966, 17, UPI, Newspapers.com, President Richard Nixon awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Apollo 13 crew shortly after the conclusion of their mission.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/39764154/the_philadelphia_inquirer/, Heroes of Apollo 13 Welcomed by President and Loved Ones, Associated Press, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 19, 1970, Newspapers.com, 1, Following a sparse parade, Swigert received the City of New York Gold Medal on June 3.NEWS,timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1970/06/04/121526687.html?pageNumber=27, Mayor Honors Apollo 13 Crew at Lincoln Center, Sauro, William E., June 4, 1970, The New York Times, 27, He received the City of Houston Medal for Valor, 1970.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/39728029/clarionledger/, Space City Cover Society Plans Medal for Astronauts, Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi, May 5, 1970, 7, Newspapers.com, Swigert received the American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award for 1970.WEB,astronautical.org/awards/armstrong/, Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award, American Astronautical Society, February 12, 2020, He was given University of Colorado-Boulder’s Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 1970. Vice President Spiro Agnew presented the crews of Apollo 11, 12, and 13 with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1970.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/44062092/arizona_republic/, Agnew Confers Awards on Crews of 3 Apollos, Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, November 14, 1970, Associated Press, 23, Newspapers.com, The Apollo 13 crew also received the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award in 1971, which included a small monetary award and a medal.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43358598/tucson_daily_citizen/, Astronauts to Get Top Award at Arizona Conference, Tucson Daily Citizen, Tucson, Arizona, March 5, 1971, 31, Newspapers.com, UPI, NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43588375/chicago_tribune/, Plane Talk, Thomis, Wayne, Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, March 7, 1971, Newspapers.com, 3–21, Swigert was awarded the 1972 Antonian Gold Medal.He was presented an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from American International College in 1970,NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43824077/nashua_telegraph/, Honorary Degree for Astronaut, Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, New Hampshire, June 6, 1970, Newspapers.com, Associated Press, 18, an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Western State University in 1970, and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Western Michigan University in 1970.WEB,scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1112&context=western_newsletter, Apollo 13 Astronauts Made Honorary WMU Alums, Western Michigan University Newsletter, September 12, 2019, September 1970, In 1983, Swigert was among 14 Apollo astronauts inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame.WEB,www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=83, Jack Swigert inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame, New Mexico Museum of Space History, November 27, 2017, NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/29964158/el_paso_times/, Space Hall Inducts 14 Apollo Program Astronauts, Sheppard, David, El Paso Times, El Paso, Texas, October 2, 1983, 18, Newspapers.com, In 1988, Swigert was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame.BOOK, Holmes, Charles W., Honoree Album of the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame, 1999, Audubon Media Corp., Audubon, Iowa, 53380391, WEB,www.coloradoaviationhistoricalsociety.org/bio_popup.asp?id=46, Colorado Aviation Historical Society and Hall of Fame website: Jack Swigert, Jr. History, June 5, 2020, June 6, 2020,www.coloradoaviationhistoricalsociety.org/bio_popup.asp?id=46," title="web.archive.org/web/20200606045333www.coloradoaviationhistoricalsociety.org/bio_popup.asp?id=46,">web.archive.org/web/20200606045333www.coloradoaviationhistoricalsociety.org/bio_popup.asp?id=46, dead, In 1995, Swigert was portrayed by Kevin Bacon in Ron Howard’s film Apollo 13.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/41798850/the_record/, America’s Derring-Do Resurrected, Ebert, Robert, The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey, June 30, 1995, 43, Newspapers.com, In 1997, Swigert, along with 23 other Apollo astronauts, was posthumously inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.WEB,astronautscholarship.org/Astronauts/john-l-swigert-jr/, Jack Swigert inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, November 27, 2017, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/28283877/florida_today/, Ceremony to Honor Astronauts, Florida Today, Cocoa, Florida, 2B, October 2, 1997, Meyer, Marilyn, Newspapers.com, He was elected in September 2003 to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Alumni Hall of Fame.WEB,www.rpi.edu/about/alumni/inductees/swigert.html, RPI Alumni Hall of Fame: John L. Swigert Jr, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, September 14, 2012, NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43185900/hartford_courant/, Rensselaer Honors Late Apollo 13 Astronaut Swigert, Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut, October 21, 2003, B4, Newspapers.com, In 1997, a statue of Swigert made by George and Mark Lundeen was placed on display in the U.S. Capitol Building as one of two statues given by the state of Colorado to the National Statuary Hall Collection.NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43185619/albuquerque_journal/, Statuesque Nominee, Calloway, Larry, Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 22, 1997, Newspapers.com, B1, WEB,www.aoc.gov/art/national-statuary-hall-collection/john-swigert-jr, John Swigert Jr., Architect of the Capitol, January 30, 2020, As of December 2008 the statue is on display in Emancipation Hall in the United States Capitol Visitor Center. A duplicate statue is currently on display at Denver International Airport Terminal B, where passengers exit the airport’s train system.WEB,denverite.com/2017/04/17/jack-swigert-astronaut-commemorated-dia-amazing-thing-45-years-ago/, Jack Swigert, the astronaut commemorated at DIA, did an amazing thing 47 years ago today, Kenney, Andrew, Denverite, January 28, 2020, April 17, 2017, The Space Foundation was founded in 1983 in part to honor the memory and accomplishments of Swigert.WEB,www.nationalspacesymposium.org/symposium-awards," title="web.archive.org/web/20090203060101www.nationalspacesymposium.org/symposium-awards,">web.archive.org/web/20090203060101www.nationalspacesymposium.org/symposium-awards, February 3, 2009, November 27, 2017, dead,www.nationalspacesymposium.org/symposium-awards, Symposium Awards, National Space Symposium, NEWS,www.newspapers.com/clip/43227505/the_los_angeles_times/, JPL Honored for Space Exploration, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, February 17, 2006, A8, Newspapers.com, O’Keefe, Mary, In 2004, the Space Foundation launched the John L. “Jack” Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration, which is presented annually to an individual, group, or organization that has made a significant contribution to space exploration. On August 18, 2009, the Space Foundation and Colorado Springs District 11 partnered to open the Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy.NEWS,www.spacefoundation.org/media/press-releases/jack-swigert-aerospace-academy-opens, Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy Opens, August 18, 2009, Space Foundation, August 29, 2014, Developer, NEWS,www.csbj.com/2009/08/18/jack-swigert-aerospace-academy-opens/, Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy opens, The Colorado Springs Business Journal, Baillie, Amber, August 18, 2009, February 12, 2020, Swigert was a member of numerous organizations. He was a fellow of the American Astronautical Society; associate fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and member of the Quiet Birdmen, Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Tau Sigma, and Sigma Tau.

See also

• Astronaut-politician
• List of members-elect of the United States House of Representatives who never took their seats
• List of spaceflight records
• The Astronaut Monument

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References

{{Reflist|30em}}

Works cited

• BOOK, Andrew, Chaikin, Andrew Chaikin, A Man on the Moon, Penguin Books Ltd, 978-0-14-024146-4, 1998,
• BOOK, Lovell, James A., Cortright, Edgar M., Apollo Expeditions to the Moon,ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19760005868.pdf, 1975, NASA, Washington, D.C., SP-350, Chapter 13: “Houston, We’ve Had a Problem”,ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19760005868.pdfpage=261,
• BOOK, Kraft, Christopher, Christopher Kraft, Flight: My Life in Mission Control, Dutton, 2001, New York, 978-0-525-94571-0, {{sfnRef, Kraft, |url=https://archive.org/details/flight00chri}}
• BOOK, Deke! U.S. Manned Space: From Mercury to the Shuttle, Slayton, Donald K. “Deke”, Deke Slayton, Cassutt, Michael, Michael Cassutt, 1994, 1st, Tor Books, Forge, New York, 978-0-312-85503-1, registration,archive.org/details/dekeusmannedspac00slay,

External links

{{sister project links|auto=yes}}

• Jack Swigert at the Internet Movie Database

{{People who have traveled to the Moon}}{{NASA Astronaut Group 5}}{{U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame}}{{Authority control}}