Rene Carpenter (first name rhymes with “seen”) was a television host and columnist who first came to public attention as the wife of Mercury 7 astronaut M. Scott Carpenter.
- Died: Friday, July 24, 2020 (Who else died on July 24?)
- Details of death: Died in Denver of congestive heart failure at the age of 92.
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The Astronaut Wives Club
She and the other six wives have been described by “The Astronaut Wives Club” author Lily Koppel as “America’s first reality stars.” They were expected to embody the ideal mid-century American homemaker, raising children and supporting their husbands at all times, while also appearing glamorous during media events and public speaking engagements.
“The Prom Queen”
Carpenter’s physical appearance was often the focus of media attention. She was described as a “platinum blonde,” “prom queen,” and “a dish.” She joked that her stock answer to all questions was that she was “proud, thrilled, happy.” But she had a serious interest in the science of space travel and inner workings of NASA’s program. She became a valuable source to writer Tom Wolfe who immortalized the Mercury 7 project in “The Right Stuff.”
The bond of shared experience
Through personal hardships and under the extraordinary pressure of the public spotlight, the wives of the astronauts supported one another. Carpenter formed a particularly close bond with Annie Glenn, wife of astronaut John Glenn. When Glenn died earlier this year at the age of 100, Carpenter became the last surviving member of one of the most exclusive clubs in American history.
More than an astronaut’s wife
Carpenter had a quick wit and was a talented writer. From 1965 to 1968 she wrote a syndicated newspaper column about her perspective as a wife called “A Woman, Still.” But by 1968 her marriage to M. Scott Carpenter was falling apart. The couple separated and were divorced in 1972. That year she embarked on a successful new career as a television host for Washington, D.C. TV station WTOP (now WUSA).
Carpenter on being her own person:
“I am a single whole person—unencumbered by hyphens or gratuitous references to the past, and I am convinced I speak for a growing number of women who are newly responsive and aware of their own unique identities,” she wrote in response to a 1973 Washington Post story that described her as “ex-wife of the astronaut.”
What people said about her:
Full obituary: The Washington Post
