The first time John Glenn made an impression on Patrick Paradis was in February 1962, when Glenn rode into outer space atop a rocket and circled Earth three times in his space capsule, becoming the first American to orbit the planet. Paradis was 8 years old then, on vacation from school and following the mission on television. More than two decades later, Paradis was in his early 30s and representing part of Augusta at the State House when acquaintances asked if he could show Glenn around central Maine as he campaigned to become the Democratic nominee for president. Though Glenn was widely recognized as a national icon by that point – he had given new hope to the U.S.