Rene Carpenter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rene Carpenter
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Carpenter at a press conference in 1962
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| Born |
Rene Louise Mason
April 12, 1928 Clinton, Iowa, U.S.
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| Died | July 24, 2020 (aged 92) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
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| Occupation | Newspaper columnist and local television host |
| Spouse(s) |
Lester H. Shor
(m. 1977) |
Rene Carpenter (April 12, 1928 – July 24, 2020) was an American writer and TV host. She became famous as the wife of Scott Carpenter, one of the first American astronauts. She was an important part of the early NASA space program families.
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Rene Carpenter's Early Life
Rene Carpenter was born in Clinton, Iowa, on April 12, 1928. Her mother, Olive Mason, was one of the first female clerks for a railroad company. Her father, Melville Mason, lost his job during the Great Depression. Her parents divorced when Rene was two years old.
In 1935, her mother married Lyle S. Price, who adopted Rene. She then became Rene Louise Price. In 1941, her family moved to Boulder, Colorado. Rene went to school in Boulder.
Education and Early Interests
Rene went to Boulder High School. She wrote for the school newspaper, The Daily Owl. She finished high school in 1946. After that, she studied history at the University of Colorado. She stopped her studies when she got married in 1948.
Rene Carpenter's Career
Rene Carpenter had an interesting career. She was known for her writing and her television work.
Becoming an "Astronaut Wife"
In the late 1950s and 1960s, the first astronauts and their wives became very famous. Magazines like Life paid a lot of money for their personal stories. The wives of the Mercury Seven astronauts formed a group to support each other. This group was later called the Astronaut Wives Club.
Rene Carpenter was often noticed for her looks. The Washington Post called her a "striking platinum blonde" in 1961. Time magazine said she was "by anyone's standards a dish" in 1962. People magazine called her "the undisputed prom queen of the early space program" in 1975.
But Rene was also a talented writer. Life magazine published her story about being a military wife. She also wrote about her husband's space flight on May 24, 1962, aboard Aurora 7.
Rene's Influence on Scott's Space Journey
Some people say Rene Carpenter helped her husband, Scott, get into the space program. Scott Carpenter was already a candidate for Project Mercury in 1958. He went to meetings and interviews in 1959.
One day, Rene opened a letter from NASA. It invited Scott to go for more tests. Scott was away at sea. Rene called NASA right away and said, "We volunteer!" Scott then went through the tests and was chosen as an astronaut.
Writing and Television Work
In 1965, Rene started writing her own newspaper column called "A Woman, Still." She wrote this column until 1969.
After her divorce, she was invited by Katharine Graham, who owned a TV station. Rene created and hosted a TV show called Everywoman. It aired weekly on Saturday nights. The show talked about important topics related to the women's movement.
Involvement in Politics
In 1968, Rene Carpenter helped with the campaign for Robert F. Kennedy. She continued her syndicated newspaper column, "A Woman, Still." From 1972 to 1976, she was a television host. She hosted Everywoman and then another show called Nine in the Morning. She also worked for a group called the Committee for National Health Insurance.
Rene Carpenter's Personal Life
Rene first met Scott Carpenter when they both worked as ushers at the Boulder Theater. They got married in Boulder, Colorado, on September 9, 1948.
They had their first child, Marc Scott, in 1949. Thirteen months later, they had another son, Timothy. Sadly, Timothy died when he was six months old. Rene and Scott had three more children after that.
Scott Carpenter left NASA in 1967. He moved with Rene and their children to Bethesda, Maryland. Rene kept writing her column until she and Scott separated in 1969. They divorced in 1972.
In 1977, she married Lester H. Shor, who was a builder. She continued to use her professional name, Rene Carpenter.
Rene Carpenter passed away on July 24, 2020, in a Denver hospital. She was 92 years old. She was the last person still alive from the group of the first fourteen Mercury Project families.
