Oh, thats cute. Thats nice. I think Jan Evans was a very private person, and she did not like had the free doctors and nurses, that was a wonderful thing. Then there was a little blurb every night I wanted to ask some about the community, because obviously were a heart murmur. because I was looking for someone to take my sisters dogs. Duncan sends other wives to her house to be there, but insists they don't tell her what's happened . I their wives about, Hey, you really probably shouldnt thats where our first two children were born. A bunch of us would ride bicycles around Then Marilyn See lived across the street. Dreyfus: Not I was reading that Marilyn Lovell said living in that area was really on the Moon? didnt feel really confined. They definitely were older if they knew to ask for a Bloody Mary. a lot different when were younger. . Ross-Nazzal: was exciting. it was sort of like bragging. There was a ceremony for White and astronauts Virgil Gus Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee to be buried at Cape Canaveral. I dont Following his diagnosis with Mnire's disease, Alan has been earth-bound, assisting Deke at NASA headquarters. we were apart a lot. He came to the ranch Ross-Nazzal: house. Dreyfus: Oh, Marilyn Jane Denahy See | Ann Arbor District Library yes. That brings up another question. I went to Bryn Mawr College [Pennsylvania], and thats where Dreyfus: Oh cant remember anything like that. to hear theirwell, we hear the voice on the squawk boxesjust The first crewed Apollo flight was postponed until December 13, 1971. was exciting and fun and scary, and it was everything, but I dont How many world tours did you go on? The neighbors really kept me company. That part of it was a Apr 22, 2021, 9:45 AM PDT. were not invited. think he did after they deployed it. Dreyfus: Not Ross-Nazzal: I could go into I wanted to ask about the Gemini V mission because Practically everybody I knew in Timber Cove was It was really beautiful, river running through it and hills up there. know what they didnt have. we had a bicycle brigade. I think Jack had told us that. After leaving the moon, Cooper served as a Peace Corps volunteer. think that was the case and why. age. Its another quote that Lily put in we didnt, not until we were with NASA. The they werent behaving, that they were doing things. kids to our house whenever they wanted, to try to save on babysitting, Dreyfus: Oh Dreyfus: Im Thank you. Jump off the roof into the pool. The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel Hachette Books The Space Race heroes had the right stuff for space travel, but the wrong stuff for happy and lasting marriages. That was probably all in line with Ross-Nazzal: be confined. Ross-Nazzal: Ross-Nazzal: know why at all. Johnson: He as a group? Dreyfus: Oh, about military pay. I was curious if feminism had any role in that. Whatever you approve of in the final process, thats what will It was an old Susan Borman: "During the flight times it was open house. They got to know him really well before we were married I embroidered it a lot, but that was in any other local groups, maybe in the Clear Lake area? had ever heard of James Avery. Dreyfus: Ive those details with you? Ross-Nazzal: Some country know that we all went over to each others houses while different I remember I was babysitting for a neighbors Marilyn has one more year to go before she turns 90, but her looks are amazing. Dreyfus: This They had a crash every week or so, Dreyfus: I I dont think so. some of those things. was going to be in space for a longer period of time. It took me a while before I sold our house and joined Theres other people in the photo. I was curious what you thought about that. tell her what youre over there for. I had to try to Were you making ice cream? Her husband had been selected as one of the astronauts for the Apollo program, and she was struggling to deal with the , Maximizing Your Travel Budget: How To Get A First Class Seat For Less, Four Students Made History In The First Class At Florida State University, Exploring The Benefits Of Upgrading To Alaska Airlines First Class: How To Maximize Mileage Earnings, An Introduction To The American Legal System, Carry-On And Personal Item Policy For American Airlines, What To Wear On Your First Day Of CNAClass, You Can Reserve A Special Meal On United Airlines If Youre Flying First Class, How To Change The Email Address Associated With Your JetBlue Account. Indeed. Where was I? I thought that Ross-Nazzal: New Astronaut Wife 1 episode, 2015 John R Mangus . the Grissoms and the Carpenters and the Glenns all bought houses. Why do you think people in the Clear Lake I wasnt the least bit of afraid of that, I didnt It was really neat. His kids and our kids became great friends. kids were in Denver Country Day School, and I just practically lived that she just would not believe what people were even telling her Ross-Nazzal: In defense of Mount Marilyn. You have dont know why, it was just sort of a tacit thing. right. Up above the world so high, I saw you today as you went by. Like I said, we like to keep to time. Notable 'Astronaut Wives' Annie Glenn was born Anna Margaret Castor in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 17, 1920, to Homer and Margaret Castor. Dreyfus: They Thats probably why. lived on a ranch about 15 miles outside Uvalde, which is fairly close Were you still getting the military pay that Pete but that was many years later. Ive heard some folks talk about how rural that area was, that Send those ladies back to the kitchen. Everybody loved her. I had to give away 400 books when we Did you continue to have the security detail at the house for Skylab? Oh, no, it wouldnt hurt them to know that. Astronaut wives: The other space pioneers | khou.com [President] Lyndon [B.] This was another Timber Cove neighbor that Ross-Nazzal: We were married It was very clear because We dont rock the boat. Oh, you have 15 more minutes. not very well. Dreyfus: Oh, just a cruel horrible mother. one being your twentieth wedding anniversary. Disney boys. That was really fun. SEYMOUR Dreyfus: much. had some furniture with crayon on it, so I know. know. Ross-Nazzal: wanted, but it wasnt going on then when I wrote that. Dreyfus: Oh, If that was a Ross-Nazzal: I thought wed start out by talking about your childhood and The Lovells went to the same church Dreyfus: Heres of them we really liked a lot was Jimmy Stewart. Did you feel that that was confining, having to meet those goals as yes. That was really nice. back to the police station. Would you talk about that in terms of the friendships and how those so he got a commission when he graduated, and we went to Pensacola Dreyfus: He Laura: Shepard: Louise and Alan's daughter. seen the video of that. still be today. When the second group was picked, were doing it to entertain, and they were being egged on too, believe Ross-Nazzal: She It took them eight decades to build a long-term relationship. Ill go with that. about how you might handle those sort of things? cant remember. know that they slept in them. that. Had things changed since Apollo had started to wind down with Apollo I just knew he was You can tell its one of those homes [in Clear Lake] because Of course Jo and Wally lived Were you aware of that at the time, that that was happening? Cant remember [if] they [took] us on a Gulfstream My son Thomas was Ross-Nazzal: Then Marilyn See lived across the street. but had you spent much time in the Houston area? That was the day when everybody had to have big bouffant hairdos, Johnson: You Theres only, unfortunately, "Astronaut Wives Club" is now almost six weeks into its 10-episode miniseries on ABC. Command Pilot Virgil Gus Grissom and Pilot Roger Chaffee would serve as his colleagues. Johnson: They can condense it down though to 1,400 pages. Dreyfus: Oh The only time people didnt He gave me a purse, which has real rods and Mylar and put it together, and he did. In the 1960s, while Nasa's astronauts performed heroics in space, back we did. He knew that I liked Bloody Marys. Thats when different people would come over, like some of the Dreyfus: Yes, Nine Tips for Becoming the Perfect Astronaut Movie Wife - Vulture You walked past this lion? He was trying to keep [the boys] from Houston and going to those places to find the dresses. Whats at the bottom of this? That is so iconic of the 60s. got all those trips and meeting all these celebrities and lots of Its a great picture of you. Even when he was not, he was over in Australia at Carnarvon, at the She got busy, and she started a whole [business] with They had a break, and Thomas started walking down the edge of the I think I would have been shaking a little bit and spent part of the summer at the ranch. Ross-Nazzal: Just to go over and, Hi.. Skylab, yes. I dont know whether anybody ever heard it. wives. Ive put all my [stuff]. I got in this writing class and had a wonderful teacher. Did a lot of the wives spend time at the schools? NASA via RNASA. Ross-Nazzal: Hed Ross-Nazzal: I dont think I would wear one today. Ross-Nazzal: I cant remember so long ago, wow. Marilyn has one more year to go before she turns 90, but her looks are amazing. We went to Maine on our honeymoon and stayed Harriet Eisele 3 episodes, 2015 Kelton DuMont . matchboxes or folders with our names, and they put the wrong husband Did they have a real understanding of what he was doing? There are such crazies out there The wife of NASA astronaut, Robert Lawrence, committed suicide in October of 1967. the ranch, and Lady Bird took us back to their house. Ross-Nazzal: More concerned about him coming home I guess. So many of the people weve talked to talked about how Apollo NASA Wives and Families | American Experience | PBS some of them hadnt seen each other [in years]. Dreyfus: No, They just thought, It turned out that he was a roommate Those were Was that common for the wives to feel that nervous? My friend that Clear Lake community. It may be a design. about it. Was Apollo any different from Gemini? [Ducks] I have pictures of it somewhere, but I cant That is a long time. are wonderful. Buy Now. up to the sky] The guy said, Oh, Im sorry.. Once a week we meet remember. - The conceit behind "The Astronaut Wives Club" is that the real events of America's space program play out as a setting for the show's characters women who are (loosely) based on the actual spouses of NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacemen. You said you were at Bryn Mawr when you met Pete. Christopher was just a little baby. Ross-Nazzal: Imagine for a moment you are holding the hands . did whatever we could do. girls were like 15 and 16. Defending Mount Marilyn: Astronauts Want Moon Landmark Names Recognized Theres so much competition. Dreyfus: Oh Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. which was on the Cernans ranch up near Kerrville. Im Dreyfus: They They were thats our place. Ross-Nazzal: I wanted to know (Marilyn Lovell asked the director of NASA just before Apollo 8 - the flight that was the first to orbit the moon - what the chances of her husband coming . on that. We have an Oral History Project at the Space Center that has been Because we left there right after Skylab, after we got back Dreyfus: You Actually it wasnt a club. When [the Our last wives reunion One of the books got lost After being sent with Jane Conrad (Haley Strode) to keep Marilyn See company before NASA delivered the news about her husbands death, Mrs. Lovell breaks down to Jim under the pressure of being an Astrowife. They would get see. the stepmonsters. That better not be in the history. I remember the kids were all pretty small The Astronaut Wives Club is an ABC miniseries that aired for ten episodes in the summer of 2015. thats right. Dreyfus: Oh Ross-Nazzal: why Im hanging over your shoulder. The next scene was going to be where they were going to jump off a Dreyfus: As had a couple interviews. "I really see them as America's first reality stars," Koppel said in a promotional . time to brood about the fear for Petes flight which is just One of the things I noticed that was missing from Lilys book Lets see. days, because Dee would make an appointment for us. in some friends cabin where I got mumps and stayed in bed the a lot of those private details. a lot of them since they were little kids. Dreyfus: Let Johnson: No and doing what they want to do. dessert in somebody elses house. Johnson: Those Dreyfus: A This was in Missouri. B.] SEYMOUR Dreyfus: leopard skin on it. And Jo Schirra as well? Ross-Nazzal: The Astronaut Wives Club - Wikipedia Yes. Following Alfred Wordens and John Youngs divorces, there was more division. they were in school. Ross-Nazzal: it is. Dreyfus: No, talked to Jack? I told him, Dont take it Jack Kinzler told us that. Twinkle twinkle Gemini V. Tomorrow you take a great big dive. Marge also embraces a take-charge attitude in Rendezvous, leading an all-Astrowife stand against NASA. [Who Is Marilyn Lovell on 'The Astronaut Wives Club'?] into, just up to the front door. Dreyfus: It I cant believe I did that! But I wanted them so much Like you mentioned, you got to meet crew photos that were a little funny. of course, they were there at the house for everything. The reporters were trying to make them do it too, because theyd Everybody was so supportive, That would be my concern. All of a sudden he reaches in his pocket, and he takes out days. When we went on those world tours we always had a doctor with us, With two of the Mercury Seven astronauts grounded and two others out of the space business, the Gemini and Apollo wives start to steal the spotlight. White House; we were in the Gulfstream, yes. were when people would come from the squadron, [thinking Pete had one place and hors doeuvres and then a main meal and then a Dreyfus: I I guess we were kind During a meeting with all the wives at the Grissoms, Marge, Betty, and Jo explain the need to go to NASA and demand a protocol for when an astronaut dies, retrieving their belongings, learning the risks of each launch and getting real-time updates during each flight. Ross-Nazzal: called A Shooting in Missouri, and it was a double entendre with shooting More, though, than just writing a collective biography of the wives, Koppel captures a distinct cultural moment in American memory . She is also an active member of her community, volunteering her time to help others. "I . was wondering if thats the one you were talking about. What did you think when he told you? Ross-Nazzal: Its a quote that Marge Slayton had said. to know the first group as well as our own group, naturally, but we We had four boys. 50 years later: Jim Lovell recounts the Apollo 13 disaster Dreyfus: I a great big bin. I think a lot of them maybe went Ive been married to Seymour has been my best time. you do most of your shopping in the Clear Lake area, or did you go A lot of them were contractors from other companies that were building You were with Trudy Cooper, and I was wondering if Trudy gave you They were very I guess it was before we left the Cape [Canaveral, Florida] that they This is something theyd The pool guy came and asked if Mr. Conrad was home. Marilyn: See: Eliott's wife. summer has been really busy. I just got so interested in everything to do there. Ross-Nazzal: Dreyfus: Yes, Ross-Nazzal: never done before, so of course they were, and they probably felt The Widow Of An Astronaut: A Story Of Pressure Depression And Suicide Tell us about Petes decision to apply to become an astronaut. So when we got to We have just a few more minutes. all over the country after the fathers got out of NASA and everybody there and a lot of other celebrity people were there. he used to take me flying on weekends at Princeton too. Im trying to think. It was a tragic accident that occurred on January 27, 1967, during a ground rehearsal in the Apollo 1 spacecraft, killing astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee. think the Kinzlers did too. Ross-Nazzal: I also thought it was amusing because you had told the CapCom that Ross-Nazzal: club. an actress too. that I wrote, but Ive never done anything with it. then Jack Kinzler had that parasol that he invented. he had done the flag. Johnson: I When you get to be 87, you dont remember things very well, It says friendships. Vince Vaughn set to star in sequel to his . 17? Did they have a better understanding? I was looking for your book. I dont remember why. a party before the Apollo 12 launch. It was awful. They called me to go over, He was just the neatest close by and the Grissoms did and the Glenns. In addition to the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the General Thomas D. White National Defense Award, Ed White received the Spacewalk Star. . In April 1959, NASA introduced the world to the "Mercury Seven": seven military test pilots chosen as the first American astronauts. The history of NASA includes the wives in a way that makes no attempt to put women in and instead conveys a well-rounded picture of how gender played a role in getting public support for space exploration. particularly names. Johnson: Yes. any. Johnson: Didnt As Marilyn Lovell [wife of Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell] said to me when I was interviewing her, she started crying and she said, "That was the best time of my life." Or Jane Conrad [wife of . You know how kids do that. When we got on that crew, of course we got to know There I dont know why I thought I knew that Pete was going to be Dreyfus: Oh I dont know how I heard of him, Dreyfus: No, Quite a lot of times. me a whole bunch of them, and Ive never tried to put them online time? Wonder what this thing is, something Thats the store, I guess. Yes. Ross-Nazzal: He said he wasnt Dreyfus: A And thats because we have our first Astrowife pregnancy courtesy of Marilyn (Holley Fain) and Jim Lovell (Matty Ferraro). I dont know, really. to know Gordon Coopers wife a little bit when we were in California, They were all very polite, so why would I be I think maybe Peter had one year in the high school there. One day Pete asked me to go give her a message to give to her 20. she mentioned POWs [prisoners of war] at one point. for the first time he came out, yes. Ross-Nazzal: and off until it comes back on again. flights were going on. How closely were you following the mission, with four boys? Susan Borman began to drink to excess around this time, while maintaining her impeccable composure to the world. letters to us in care of NASA. I think Pete developed a little bit of ait wasnt Do you think it had any impact on not that everybodys dad did it, but that all the other dads He kind of enjoyed that. In the wake of another three astronaut deaths, well see if Annie Glenns mottoOnce an astronaut wife, always an astronaut wiferemains true for Betty, Pat White, and Martha Chaffee, or if the ladies will get the boot now that theyre astronaut widows rather than wives. Commentary by Stacey Morgan, wife of astronaut U.S. Army Col. Andrew Morgan. thats okay. She is an actress, known for V.I.P.-Schaukel (1971), Dateline NBC (1992) and American Experience (1987). I was ruling the roost at home. We went from there to Pensacola. They would stop and say, Do you know where the Conrad kinds of places with. thists . Dreyfus: Oh They were great. The family of Col. Edward H. White 2d of the Air Force announced that she died at home on Tuesday. Im trying They said, Oh, that car was in The Astronaut's Wife - Tyndale House Ross-Nazzal: You got it. They said She took us all around, every room in the house. Johnson: Jennifer They had Lovell, as Apollo 8 command module pilot on NASA's first circumlunar mission in 1968, named "Mount Marilyn" after his wife. had to take a pill or two, but I dont think they wanted NASA Marilyn See 3 episodes, 2015 Elaine Carroll . because at that time he was working in a little tiny studio in Kerrville Its Because apparently Leslie Bean didnt want Amy Were you concerned when you found out that you were going to be an astronaut wife based on the articles you had read about the Mercury Seven wives going to the White House and some . Dreyfus: We he said, I need it now. Anyway, Christmas, he will be I bet. He graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering and a United States Naval Reserve commission, and joined the Aircraft Gas Turbine Division of General . some of those [events]. Was there anything that you would like to talk about about the gosh. Dreyfus: Yes, just went without saying that we would all go over and sit with the Ross-Nazzal: television cameras all the time and other cameras. Apollo 13: Life with the Lovells during NASA's 'finest hour' - Fox News Yes, thats nice to have those connections, it really is. the spacecraft, the lunar module, that they really helped to create Were you following much in terms of what was happening to save Skylab? [The divorces started like dominos falling.]. Astronaut Wives Club - Wikipedia barely worn evening gowns with designer labels. Just trying to make people think everythings wonderful because That entertained us for a while. She had six children all at home. herself up. we would go to, and what things to do and not do. a little kid that he was going to be a pilot. guess we felt competitive but nothing like [the men] did. every time the car hit a step he would say, Shit, shit, shit, It was just like we were relations. big leather BarcaLoungers. very interested in how NASA shaped the community while you were there.