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James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., (born March 25, 1928) is a former NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
 astronaut
Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a List of human spaceflight programs to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
 and a former captain in the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13
Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of Project Apollo under NASA in the United States. The crew members were Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W....
 mission, which suffered an explosion en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission control. Lovell was also the command module pilot of Apollo 8
Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first manned space voyage to achieve a velocity sufficient to allow escape from the gravitational field of planet Earth; the first to escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first manned voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body....
, the first Apollo mission to enter lunar orbit. Lovell is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Congressional Space Medal of Honor

The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind." It is awarded by the President of the United States in Congres...
 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is, along with theequivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of United States Congress, the highest Civilian decorations of the United States in the United States....
.






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Quotations


Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.

Houston, we've had a problem. (Misquoted in the movie Apollo 13 as Houston, we have a problem.)

The moon is essentially gray, no color. It looks like plaster of Paris, like dirty beach sand with lots of footprints in it.

Well, Deke; if I had a dollar for every time I've been killed in that thing, I wouldn't have to work for you. We'll get it together by launch time.

There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened. To be successful, you need to be a person who makes things happen.






Encyclopedia


James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., (born March 25, 1928) is a former NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
 astronaut
Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a List of human spaceflight programs to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
 and a former captain in the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13
Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of Project Apollo under NASA in the United States. The crew members were Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W....
 mission, which suffered an explosion en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission control. Lovell was also the command module pilot of Apollo 8
Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first manned space voyage to achieve a velocity sufficient to allow escape from the gravitational field of planet Earth; the first to escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first manned voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body....
, the first Apollo mission to enter lunar orbit. Lovell is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Congressional Space Medal of Honor

The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind." It is awarded by the President of the United States in Congres...
 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is, along with theequivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of United States Congress, the highest Civilian decorations of the United States in the United States....
. He is one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon
List of Apollo astronauts

This is a list of all astronauts directly associated with NASA's Project Apollo. A total of thirty-eight astronauts flew in an Apollo spacecraft, twenty-nine of whom were part of the Apollo program, the rest being Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz astronauts....
, and the only person to have flown to the Moon twice without making a landing.

Biography


Youth and early experience

Born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border....
 to a Czech mother, Lovell's family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and List of United States cities by population in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan....
, where he graduated from Juneau High School and became an Eagle Scout. His father died in a car accident when Jim was young and, for about two years, he resided with a relative in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, Indiana near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 59,614 and its Terre Haute metropolitan area had a population of 170,943....
. Later he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for two years, joining the Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega

Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members....
 fraternity. He continued on to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States, that educates and commissions officers of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps....
 and, after graduating in 1952, entered the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 where he served in the Korean War
Korean War

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....
. He spent four years as a test pilot
Test pilot

Test pilots are aviators who fly new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
 at the Naval Air Test Center (now the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
United States Naval Test Pilot School

The United States Naval Test Pilot School , located at Naval Air Station Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, USMC, United States Army, and United States Air Force pilots, flight officers, and engineers in the processes and techniques of aircraft and systems te...
) in Patuxent River, Maryland, using the call sign
Aviator call sign

An aviator call sign or call sign is a nickname given to a United States or Canada military pilot or other flight officer. This call sign is a substitute for the officer's given name, and is used on name tags, planes, and radio conversations....
 "Shaky" (a nickname given him by Pete Conrad
Pete Conrad

Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. , was an United States astronaut and the List of Apollo astronauts. He also described himself as the first man to dance on the Moon....
). Lovell was considered for the Mercury Seven
Mercury Seven

The Mercury Seven was the group of seven Project Mercury astronaut picked by NASA on April 9, 1959. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1....
 but was ultimately turned down due to a medical technicality later deemed insignificant. He was then selected in 1962 for the second group
Astronaut Group 2

NASA's Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, was the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in September 1962. The group was required to augment the original Mercury Seven with the announcement of the Gemini program and leading to the Project Apollo....
 of NASA astronauts.

NASA experience

Lovell was the backup pilot for Gemini 4
Gemini 4

Gemini 4 was a June 1965 manned space flight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 2nd manned Project Gemini flight, the 10th manned American flight and the 18th spaceflight of all time ....
, and his first spaceflight was as pilot of Gemini 7
Gemini 7

Gemini 7 was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 4th manned Project Gemini flight, the 12th manned American flight and the 20th spaceflight of all time ....
 in December 1965, which was the first flight to spend a fortnight
Fortnight

The fortnight is a unit of time equivalent to fourteen days. The word derives from the Old English language feorwertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights"....
 in space, and also conducted the first space rendezvous with Gemini 6A
Gemini 6A

Gemini 6A was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 5th manned Project Gemini flight, the 13th manned American flight and the 21st spaceflight of all time ....
. Lovell was originally scheduled to be the backup commander of Gemini 10
Gemini 10

Gemini 10 was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 8th manned Project Gemini flight, the 16th manned American flight and the 24th spaceflight of all time ....
, but after the deaths of Elliot See and Charles Bassett
Charles Bassett

Charles Arthur "Art" Bassett, II was a United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut who died during a training flight....
, he became backup commander of Gemini 9A
Gemini 9A

Gemini 9A was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 7th manned Project Gemini flight, the 13th manned American flight and the 23rd spaceflight of all time ....
, and in November 1966 made his second flight into space as commander of Gemini 12
Gemini 12

Gemini 12 was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 10th manned Project Gemini flight, the 18th manned American flight and the 26th spaceflight of all time ....
. After these two flights, Lovell had spent more time in space than any other human.

He was then made command module pilot on the backup crew for Apollo 9
Apollo 9

Apollo 9 was the first manned flight of the Apollo Command/Service Module along with the Apollo Lunar Module . Its three-person crew of Mission Commander Jim McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart tested several aspects critical to landing on the moon including the LM engines, backpack life suppo...
 with Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong

Neil Alden Armstrong is a former American astronaut, test pilot, university professor, and United States Naval Aviator. He is List of Apollo astronauts#People who have walked on the Moon Moon....
 (Commander) and Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin is an United States aviator and astronaut, who was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, the first lunar landing. He was, along with Mission Commander Neil Armstrong, the first person to land on the Moon, and shortly afterward became the second person to set foot on the Moon....
 (Lunar Module Pilot). He later replaced Michael Collins
Michael Collins (astronaut)

Major General Michael Collins is a former United States astronaut and test pilot. Selected as part of the Astronaut Group 3 in 1963, he flew in space twice....
, the original command module pilot on the Apollo 9
Apollo 9

Apollo 9 was the first manned flight of the Apollo Command/Service Module along with the Apollo Lunar Module . Its three-person crew of Mission Commander Jim McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart tested several aspects critical to landing on the moon including the LM engines, backpack life suppo...
 prime crew, when Collins needed to have surgery for a bone spur
Bone spur

Bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, are bone projections that form along joints. Bone spurs form due to the increase in a damaged joint's surface area....
 on his spine. Shortly afterward the Apollo 8
Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first manned space voyage to achieve a velocity sufficient to allow escape from the gravitational field of planet Earth; the first to escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first manned voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body....
 and Apollo 9
Apollo 9

Apollo 9 was the first manned flight of the Apollo Command/Service Module along with the Apollo Lunar Module . Its three-person crew of Mission Commander Jim McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart tested several aspects critical to landing on the moon including the LM engines, backpack life suppo...
 crews swapped places in the flight schedule due to the re-assignment of Apollo 8 as a solo lunar orbital flight and delays in construction of the Lunar Module. Along with Frank Borman
Frank Borman

Frank Frederick Borman, II is a retired NASA astronaut, best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, making him, along with fellow crew mates Jim Lovell and William Anders, the List of Apollo astronauts#People who flew around the Moon without landing....
 and William Anders
William Anders

William Alison Anders is a former United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. He is, along with Apollo 8 crewmates Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, one of the first three persons to have left Earth orbit and traveled to the Moon ....
, Lovell flew on Apollo 8
Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first manned space voyage to achieve a velocity sufficient to allow escape from the gravitational field of planet Earth; the first to escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first manned voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body....
 in December 1968, the first manned mission to travel to the Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
.

Lovell was backup commander of Apollo 11
Apollo 11

The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Apollo program and the third human voyage to the Moon....
 and was scheduled to command Apollo 14
Apollo 14

Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The 9 day mission was launched on January 31 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5....
, but he and his crew swapped missions with the crew of Apollo 13
Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of Project Apollo under NASA in the United States. The crew members were Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W....
, as it was felt the commander of the other crew, Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was the second person and the first United States in space. He later commanded the Apollo 14 mission, and was the List of Apollo astronauts....
, needed more time to train after being grounded for a long period. On April 11 1970, Lovell took off on Apollo 13 with Fred Haise
Fred Haise

Fred Wallace Haise, Jr. is a former NASA astronaut. He is one of only List_of_Apollo_astronauts#People_who_flew_around_the_Moon_without_landing....
 and Jack Swigert
Jack Swigert

John Leonard 'Jack' Swigert, Jr., was a NASA astronaut. He was one of only List_of_Apollo_astronauts#People_who_flew_around_the_Moon_without_landing....
, planning to land on the Moon along with Haise. But on April 13, while in Earth-Moon transit, a damaged heater coil in a cryogenic oxygen tank sparked during a routine tank stir. This in turn triggered an explosion that crippled the Command Module "Odyssey." Venting oxygen from the damaged system, the vessel quickly lost most of both its breathable air supply and its power supply, which was fed by fuel cells that used oxygen as a reactant.

In the aftermath of the explosion, Apollo 13's lunar landing mission was aborted and the goal became simply survival. Using the lunar module's engine, oxygen and power, Lovell and his crew swung around the Moon on a free return trajectory
Free return trajectory

A free return trajectory is one of a very small sub-class of trajectories in which the trajectory of a satellite traveling away from a primary body is modified by the presence of a secondary body causing the satellite to return to the primary body....
. Based on calculations made on Earth, Lovell had to adjust the course several times by manually controlling the Lunar Module's thrusters and engine. Apollo 13 returned safely to Earth on April 17. Lovell is one of only three men to travel to the Moon twice, but unlike John Young
John Watts Young

John Watts Young is a former NASA astronaut who walked on the Moon on April 21, 1972 during the Apollo 16 mission.Young enjoyed one of the longest and busiest careers of any astronaut in the American space program....
 and Eugene Cernan, he never walked on it.

His four flights made him the record holder for time in space (over 715 hours) and he had seen more sunrises from space than any human who had ever lived until the Skylab
Skylab

Skylab was the first space station the United States launched into orbit, and the second space station ever visited by a human crew. The 100 ton space station was in Earth's orbit from 1973 to 1979, and it was visited by crews three times in 1973 and 1974....
 missions. Due to the free return trajectory, it is probable that Lovell, Haise, and Swigert hold the record for the farthest distance that humans have ever travelled from Earth.

In 2010, near Naval Station Great Lakes, the only basic training facility for the U.S. Navy, the merger of Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes and the North Chicago Veterans Administration Medical Facility will be complete. At this facility, both veterans and active duty military from the surrounding area will be treated. It is to be named in honor of Captain Lovell.

After the US Navy and NASA

He retired from the Navy and the space program in 1973 and went to work at the Bay-Houston Towing Company in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2007 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles ....
, becoming CEO in 1975. He became president of Fisk Telephone Systems in 1977, and later worked for Centel
Centel

Centel Corporation was an American telecommunications company, with primary interests in providing basic telephone service, cellular phone service and cable television service....
, retiring as an executive vice president on January 1, 1991. Lovell, a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least twenty-five years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout....
, later served as the President of the National Eagle Scout Association
National Eagle Scout Association

The National Eagle Scout Association is an organization of men who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. NESA's stated purpose is "to serve Eagle Scouts and, through them, the entire movement of Scouting."...
 in the mid-1990s. He was also recognized by the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is the largest List of youth organizations in the United States, with over five million members in its age-related divisions....
 with their prestigious Silver Buffalo Award
Silver Buffalo Award

The Silver Buffalo Award is the Boy Scouts of America Local Councils#National Council distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of or independent of the Scouting program....
.

Along with Jeffrey Kluger
Jeffrey Kluger

Jeffrey Kluger is a senior writer at TIME Magazine, and author of several books on science topics including Splendid Solution: Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio; Simplexity; Journey Beyond Selene; and Lost Moon....
, Lovell wrote a book on the Apollo 13 mission, Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13
Lost Moon

Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 is a book written by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Lovell was commander of the Apollo 13 moon landing mission and the book is a history of that mission....
. This book was the basis for the later Ron Howard
Ron Howard

Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an Academy Award-winning American film director and film producer as well as an actor. Howard came to prominence in the 1960s while playing Andy Griffith's TV son, Opie Taylor, on The Andy Griffith Show , and later in the 1970s as Howard Cunningham's son and Arthur Fonzarelli's best friend, Richie Cunningha...
 movie Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)

Apollo 13 is a 1995 in film film that dramatized the ill-fated Apollo 13 in 1970. The movie was adapted by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert from the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, and was directed by Ron Howard ....
 starring Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American film actor, film director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies before achieving success as a dramatic actor portraying several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia , the title role in Forrest Gump, Commander J...
 as Lovell. In order to prepare for the role, Hanks visited Lovell and his wife at their house in Texas and even went for a ride with Lovell in his private airplane. In the film, Lovell has a cameo as the captain of the USS Iwo Jima
USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2)

USS Iwo Jima was the lead ship of Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship?the first ship to be designed and built from the keel up as an amphibious assault ship....
, the naval vessel which led the operation to recover the Apollo 13 astronauts after their successful splashdown
Splashdown (spacecraft landing)

Splashdown is the method of landing a spacecraft by parachute in a body of water. It was used by American manned spacecraft prior to the Space Shuttle program....
. Lovell can be seen as the naval officer shaking Hanks's hand, as Hanks speaks in voice-over
Voice-over

The term voice-over refers to a production technique where a Diegetic#Film_sound_and_music voice is broadcast live or pre-recorded in radio, television, film, theatre and/or presentation....
, in the scene in which the astronauts come aboard the Iwo Jima. Filmmakers initially offered to make Lovell's character an admiral aboard the ship, but Lovell stated "I retired as a captain and a captain I will be", and he was so cast. Along with his wife, Marilyn, he also provided a commentary track on the two-disc special edition DVD.

In 1999, Lovell, along with his family, opened "Lovells of Lake Forest", a fine dining restaurant in Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,059 at the 2000 census. The city is south of Waukegan, Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the affluent North Shore ....
. The restaurant displays many artifacts from Lovell's time with NASA, as well as from the filming of Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)

Apollo 13 is a 1995 in film film that dramatized the ill-fated Apollo 13 in 1970. The movie was adapted by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert from the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, and was directed by Ron Howard ....
. Lovell's son Jay (short for James) is the executive chef.

Lovell also visits colleges and universities where he gives speeches on his experiences as an astronaut and businessman. He strongly urges students to get involved in science and the space program and he credits NASA in the 1960s with bringing much of the country together for a common goal.

In 2006, the Adler Planetarium
Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, Illinois was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and is the oldest in existence today....
 opened its "Shoot for the Moon" exhibit based on the life of Jim Lovell, along with the Gemini and Apollo programs.

Lovell is known for being a supporter of Congressman Mark Kirk
Mark Kirk

Mark Steven Kirk has been a Republican Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing ....
, who named the Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, Illinois after him.

He married Marilyn Gerlach in 1952 and they have four children - Barbara (born in 1953), James (1955), Susan (1958), and Jeffrey (1966).

Formal education

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • United States Naval Academy
    United States Naval Academy

    The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States, that educates and commissions officers of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps....
     (BS, 1952)
  • United States Naval Test Pilot School
    United States Naval Test Pilot School

    The United States Naval Test Pilot School , located at Naval Air Station Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, USMC, United States Army, and United States Air Force pilots, flight officers, and engineers in the processes and techniques of aircraft and systems te...
    , Naval Air Station Patuxent River
    Naval Air Station Patuxent River

    "Pax River" redirects here. For the river, see Patuxent River.Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States Naval Air Station located in Saint Mary's County, Maryland on Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River....
    , Maryland
    Maryland

    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
     (1958)
  • Aviation Safety School, University of Southern California
    University of Southern California

    The University of Southern California is a private university, nonsectarian, research university located in the University Park, Los Angeles, California neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, California, United States....
     (1961)
  • Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School
    Harvard Business School

    Harvard Business School is a business school in the United States. It is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University.Founded in 1908, Harvard Business School started with 59 students....
     (1978)


Awards and decorations

Captain Lovell's awards and decorations include:

Military Awards
  • Navy Distinguished Service Medal
    Navy Distinguished Service Medal

    The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919....
  • Distinguished Flying Cross with gold Award star
    Award star

    An award star is a decoration issued by the United States military in lieu of multiple awards of the same award, for example, a second and subsequent Legion of Merit....
  • Air Medal
    Air Medal

    The Air Medal is a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942....
  • Navy Commendation Medal
  • National Defense Service Medal
    National Defense Service Medal

    The National Defense Service Medal is a Awards and decorations of the United States military of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D....
  • Navy Expeditionary Medal
    Navy Expeditionary Medal

    The Navy Expeditionary Medal is an award of the United States Navy which was first created in August 1936 by General Orders of the Department of the Navy....
  • Naval Astronaut Wings
    Astronaut Badge

    The Astronaut Badge is a badge of the United States, awarded to military aviation and civilian pilots who have completed training and performed a successful spaceflight....
  • Naval Aviator Badge
    Naval Aviator Badge

    Designed by Captain Henry C. Mustin, the Naval Aviator Insignia is a warfare qualification of the United States military that is awarded to those aviators of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard who have qualified as Naval Aviators upon successful completion of flight school....


Other Awards
  • Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
    Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)

    Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . Those who attain this rank are called an Eagle Scout or Eagle....
     (1946) and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
    Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

    The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least twenty-five years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout....
     (1976)
  • Silver Buffalo (Boy Scouts of America) (1992)
  • Harmon International Trophy (1966, 1967 and 1969)
  • Alpha Phi Omega
    Alpha Phi Omega

    Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members....
     Fall Pledge Class Namesake (1967)
  • Robert J. Collier Trophy (1968)
  • Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy (1969)
  • H. H. Arnold Trophy (1969)
  • General Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy (1969)
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom
    Presidential Medal of Freedom

    The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is, along with theequivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of United States Congress, the highest Civilian decorations of the United States in the United States....
  • Légion d'honneur
    Légion d'honneur

    The L?gion d'honneur or Ordre national de la L?gion d'honneur is a France order established by Napoleon I of France, First Consul of the French First Republic, on May 19, 1802....
  • NASA Distinguished Service Medal
    NASA Distinguished Service Medal

    The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award which may be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States....
  • NASA Exceptional Service Medal
  • FAI De Laval Medal & Gold Space Medals
  • National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal
  • Congressional Space Medal of Honor
    Congressional Space Medal of Honor

    The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind." It is awarded by the President of the United States in Congres...


Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport , also known as Lovell Field, is a public airport located five miles east of the central business district of Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States....
 is also called Lovell Field.

Lovell (crater)
Lovell (crater)

Lovell is a small Moon Impact crater that lies across the eastern edge of the walled plain Apollo , on the Far side of the Moon. It has a somewhat irregular shape, with outward bulges to the north and west....
 on the far side
Far side of the Moon

The far side of the Moon is the Moon hemisphere that is permanently turned away from the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon in 1968....
 of the moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
.

7th Street in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and List of United States cities by population in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan....
 is now called "North James Lovell Street".

Capt. Lovell is a Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots
Society of Experimental Test Pilots

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggestions of the members, assisting in the professional development of experimental pilots, and provid...
 and a member of the prestigious Golden Eagles.

Legal dispute

In the July 25-31, 1996 issue of the San Jose Metro, Lovell was quoted as saying the following of Moon landing hoax
Apollo Moon Landing hoax accusations

Apollo Moon Landing hoax Conspiracy theory are claims that some or all elements of the Project Apollo Moon landings were faked by NASA and possibly members of other involved organizations....
 enthusiast Bill Kaysing
Bill Kaysing

William Charles Kaysing was a writer best known for claiming that the six Apollo project moon landings between July 1969 and December 1972 were hoaxes....
:
"The guy is wacky. His position makes me feel angry. We spent a lot of time getting ready to go to the moon. We spent a lot of money, we took great risks, and it's something everybody in the country ought to be proud of."
Kaysing sued Lovell for libel
Slander and libel

In law, defamation is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government or nation a negative image....
. In 1997, a judge dismissed the case.

Lovell in Media

In 1976, Lovell made a cameo appearance in the Nicolas Roeg movie The Man Who Fell to Earth.

In 1995, actor Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American film actor, film director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies before achieving success as a dramatic actor portraying several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia , the title role in Forrest Gump, Commander J...
 portrayed Lovell in the hit movie Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)

Apollo 13 is a 1995 in film film that dramatized the ill-fated Apollo 13 in 1970. The movie was adapted by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert from the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, and was directed by Ron Howard ....
, based on Lovell's book Lost Moon
Lost Moon

Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 is a book written by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Lovell was commander of the Apollo 13 moon landing mission and the book is a history of that mission....
. Lovell himself makes a cameo in this movie, playing the captain of the USS Iwo Jima
USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2)

USS Iwo Jima was the lead ship of Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship?the first ship to be designed and built from the keel up as an amphibious assault ship....
 at the end of the film.

In 1998, actor Tim Daly portrayed Lovell in portions of the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. The film depicts Lovell during his missions aboard Gemini 12
Gemini 12

Gemini 12 was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 10th manned Project Gemini flight, the 18th manned American flight and the 26th spaceflight of all time ....
, Apollo 8
Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first manned space voyage to achieve a velocity sufficient to allow escape from the gravitational field of planet Earth; the first to escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first manned voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body....
, and Apollo 13
Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the third manned lunar-landing mission, part of Project Apollo under NASA in the United States. The crew members were Commander Jim Lovell, Command Module pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W....
, though he is not seen on screen during the latter mission.

Lovell is one of the astronauts featured in the book and documentaries In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon

In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 United Kingdom documentary film about the United States' Apollo program. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award....
 and When We Left Earth.

On November 13, 2008, Lovell and fellow Apollo 8
Apollo 8

Apollo 8 was the first manned space voyage to achieve a velocity sufficient to allow escape from the gravitational field of planet Earth; the first to escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first manned voyage to return to planet Earth from another celestial body....
 crewmembers Frank Borman
Frank Borman

Frank Frederick Borman, II is a retired NASA astronaut, best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, making him, along with fellow crew mates Jim Lovell and William Anders, the List of Apollo astronauts#People who flew around the Moon without landing....
 and Bill Anders appeared on the NASA TV channel to discuss the Apollo 8 mission.

External links