SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Salt Lake City International Airport will unveil an art installation celebrating Utah’s first astronaut and retired U.S. Sen. Edwin Jacob “Jake” Garn on Dec. 3 at 2:30 p.m. during a special dedication ceremony.
The art installation, held on the second-floor Greeting Room, will be a tribute to Garn’s career in aviation, aeronautics and politics. It is part of the airport’s art open house event, which will showcase artworks created by local artists.
Garn was born in Richfield, Utah, in 1932. He was the first sitting member of Congress to fly in space for the 1985 NASA Mission STS-51D. Garn was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974 as a member of the Republican party and served three terms. He also served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy and Utah Air National Guard, retiring as a colonel in April 1979.
Speakers at this ceremony include Scott Howell, co-chair of the Jake Garn Legacy Team, Former Gov. Mike Leavitt, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake City Council Chair and District Six Representative Dan Dugan, art installation artist Gordon Huether, Director of Airports at Salt Lake City Corporation Bill Wyatt, Ellen Garn and other Jake Garn family members.