Editing James Irwin

{{short description|American astronaut and lunar explorer (1930–1991)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox astronaut
| name = James Irwin
| image = Jim Irwin Apollo 15 LMP.jpg
| caption = Irwin in 1971
| birth_name = James Benson Irwin
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|3|17}}
| birth_place = [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|8|8|1930|3|17}}
| death_place = [[Glenwood Springs, Colorado]], U.S.
| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Ellen Monroe|1959}}
| children = 5
| restingplace = [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
| education = {{ubl|[[United States Naval Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])|[[University of Michigan]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])}}
| awards = [[NASA Distinguished Service Medal]]
| type = [[NASA astronaut]]
| rank = [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]]
| time = 12d 7h 12m
| selection = [[NASA Astronaut Group 5|NASA Group 5 (1966)]]
| eva1 = 4<br/>3 EVAs on the moon<br/>1 EVA stand-up
| eva2 = 18h 35m
| mission = [[Apollo 15]]
| insignia = [[File:Apollo 15-insignia.png|48px]]
| retirement = July 31, 1972
}}
'''James Benson Irwin''' (March 17, 1930&nbsp;– August 8, 1991) was an American [[astronaut]], [[aeronautical engineer]], [[test pilot]], and a [[United States Air Force]] [[Aviator|pilot]]. He served as [[Lunar Module]] pilot for [[Apollo 15]], the fourth human lunar landing. He was the [[List of people who have walked on the Moon|8th person to walk on the Moon]].<ref name="tehabi">{{cite book | last = Reynolds | first = David West | title = Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon | publisher = Tehabi Books | year = 2002 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/apolloepicjourne00reyn/page/166 166–189] | isbn = 0-15-100964-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/apolloepicjourne00reyn/page/166 }}</ref><ref name=atevnha>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MkdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1eoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6982%2C2190550 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Astronaut-turned-evangelist dies of heart attack |date=August 10, 1991 |page=7A}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Irwin was born March 17, 1930, in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28980440/daily_news/|title=A Who's Who on Apollo Crew|newspaper=Daily News|location=New York, New York|date=July 26, 1971|page=12|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> of [[Scottish American|Scottish]], [[German Americans|German]] (maternal side) and [[Irish American|Irish]] descent, to parents James William Irwin (1896–1978), a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[World War I]] veteran, and Elsa Mathilda Irwin ({{nee|Strebel}}; 1898–1993) who had German ancestry. Irwin's paternal grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Altmore Parish at [[Pomeroy, County Tyrone|Pomeroy]] in [[County Tyrone]], Ireland (now [[Northern Ireland]]) around 1859.<ref>{{cite book |last=Allen |first=Sam |title=To Ulster's Credit |orig-year=1985 |year=1985 |page=123 |location=Killinchy, UK }}</ref>  

In 1941, James Irwin lived at 6006 Grand Boulevard in New Port Richey FL and attended Pierce Elementary School (now the site of the New Port Richey Public Library and City Hall). While he was in the 6th grade, James was also enrolled in 7th grade classes at Gulf High School due to his advanced abilities. He is listed as a 7th grader in the 1942 Gulf High School yearbook.  Throughout his life, James Irwin frequently returned to New Port Richey, where he was a member of and attended the First Baptist Church. https://www.visitnpr.com/post/the-astronaut-who-called-new-port-richey-home

At about the age of 12, he informed his mother about his desire to go to the Moon, letting her know that he might be the first person to do so<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvSjxlrSAIA&t=2m56s Interview with Jim Irwin's parents after his selection to NASA] (1966, published at YouTube on January 17, 2018)</ref> (he ended up being the eighth).  He graduated from [[East High School (Salt Lake City)|East High School]] in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]] in 1947. He received a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in naval science from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1951, and [[Master of Science]] degrees in [[aeronautical engineering]] and [[instrumentation engineering]] from the [[University of Michigan]] in 1957.<ref name="nasabio">{{cite web | title = Biographical Data: James Irwin | publisher = [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]]|date=August 1991| url = https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/irwin_james.pdf | access-date = April 2, 2021}}</ref>

He received initial flight training at [[Hondo Air Base]] and follow-up training at [[Reese Air Force Base]], [[Texas]]. He graduated from the [[U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School|Air Force Experimental Flight Test Pilot School]] (Class 60C) in 1961, and the [[U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School|Aerospace Research Pilot School]] in 1963 (Class IV). Prior to joining [[NASA]], he was chief of the Advanced Requirements Branch at Headquarters [[Air Defense Command]]. During his time in the [[United States Air Force]] he received the [[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]] and two [[Air Force Commendation Medal]]s. He also received an [[Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award|Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]] while with the [[4750th Air Defense Wing|4750th Training Wing]].<ref name="nasabio" />

Irwin was also a developmental test pilot for the [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] [[YF-12]], the Mach 3 fighter-interceptor variant which preceded the [[SR-71 Blackbird]]. His first flight of that aircraft was on the day that one of his five children was born.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://echoesofapollo.com/2011/08/01/living-with-an-american-hero-2/ |title=Living With an American Hero &#124; Latest Space News |publisher=Echoesofapollo.com |access-date=April 23, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810054927/http://echoesofapollo.com/2011/08/01/living-with-an-american-hero-2/ |archive-date=August 10, 2011 }}</ref>

In 1961, a student pilot that Irwin was training crashed the plane they were flying on a training mission. They both survived, but Irwin suffered [[compound fracture]]s, [[amnesia]], and nearly lost a leg.<ref name="ReferenceA">Flight of the Falcon: The Thrilling Adventures of Colonel Jim Irwin</ref> John Forrest, a U.S. Air Force [[orthopedic surgeon]], was instrumental in preventing the [[amputation]] of Irwin's leg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/2015/09/18/orthopedic-surgeon-john-forrest-life-lived/72391736/|title=From Ike to athletes to Elmirans, surgeon touched many|work=Star Gazette|date=September 18, 2015|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>

During his military service, he accumulated more than 7,015 hours flying time, of which 5,300 hours were in [[jet aircraft]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

== Personal life ==
Irwin was raised in a Christian household but stopped actively practicing the religion at age 10. He became a devout [[born-again Christian]] after returning from space. He was a Young Earth Creationist.

In 1952, Irwin married his first wife, who was a Catholic. The two had an unhappy marriage made worse by his devotion to his work. By his own account, the marriage failed after two years due to his poor, borderline cruel treatment of her, and he later stated that finding religion again made familial relationships much easier.

In 1959, Irwin married his second wife, the former Mary Ellen Monroe (born 1938). They were married until his death.

Irwin had five children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/10/us/james-b-irwin-61-ex-astronaut-founded-religious-organization.html|title = James B. Irwin, 61, Ex-Astronaut; Founded Religious Organization|newspaper = The New York Times|date = August 10, 1991|last1 = Wilford|first1 = John Noble}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biography.yourdictionary.com/james-benson-irwin|title = James Benson Irwin}}</ref>

==NASA career==
[[File:James Irwin's EVA suit from Apollo 15.jpg|thumb|Irwin's Apollo 15 space suit]]
Irwin was one of the 19 [[astronaut]]s selected by NASA in [[List of astronauts by selection#1966|April 1966]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28240973/the_high_point_enterprise/|title=19 New Spacemen Are Named|last1=Thompson|first1=Ronald|newspaper=The High Point Enterprise|location=High Point, North Carolina|date=April 5, 1966|page=2A|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was chosen as commander, with [[John S. Bull]] as lunar module pilot, for LTA-8, an environmental qualification test of the [[Apollo Lunar Module]] in a vacuum chamber at the Houston [[Space Environment Simulation Laboratory]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/roundups/issues/68-01-19.pdf|title=The Moon-Walker's New Clothes|publisher=NASA|volume=7|issue=7|date=January 19, 1968|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> He then served as a member of the astronaut support crew for [[Apollo 10]], the first mission to carry the full Apollo stack to the Moon and the dry run for the first crewed [[Moon landing]]. Following that assignment, Irwin served as backup lunar module pilot for the second Moon landing mission, [[Apollo 12]].<ref name="nmspacemuseum1" />

===Apollo 15===
{{Main|Apollo 15|Return of Apollo 15 to Earth}}
[[File:Apollo 15 Lunar Rover and Irwin.jpg|thumb|Irwin and the [[Lunar Roving Vehicle]] during Apollo 15]]
[[File:AS15-88-11866 - Apollo 15 flag, rover, LM, Irwin - restoration1.jpg|thumb|Irwin salutes the [[Flag of the United States|United States flag]] on the Moon on August 1, 1971]]
Between July 26 and August 7, 1971 – as the Apollo 15 [[Lunar Module|lunar module pilot]] (LMP) – Irwin logged 295 hours and 11 minutes in space. His [[extravehicular activity]] (EVA) on the Moon's surface amounted to 18 hours and 35 minutes of the mission time, an additional 33 minutes was used for Commander David R. Scott to do a stand-up EVA by opening the LM's docking hatch to survey the surroundings and take photographs.<ref name="lunarjourn">{{cite web| last = Woods| first = David| title = Mountains of the Moon| work = Apollo 15 Lunar Surface Journal| publisher = NASA| date = September 14, 2006| url = http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a15/a15.html#The_Genesis_Rock| access-date = February 15, 2007| archive-date = January 17, 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120117185009/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a15/a15.html#The_Genesis_Rock| url-status = dead}}</ref> Irwin and [[David Scott]]'s mission was more science-based than previous missions, which meant that they received intensive geological training to meet the demanding nature of the J-Mission profile.<ref name="tehabi"/>  This extra training is credited with allowing them to make one of the most important discoveries of the Apollo era, the [[Genesis Rock]].<ref name="lunarjourn"/>

Apollo 15 landed in the Moon's [[Hadley–Apennine (Moon)|Hadley-Apennine]] region, noted for its mountains and [[rille]]s.<ref name="tehabi"/> As a J-Mission, they would spend more time on the Moon than previous missions, to allow for three EVAs.  As well, Irwin was the first automobile passenger on the Moon as Scott drove the [[Lunar Roving Vehicle]] (LRV) carried along for this mission in the [[Lunar Module|lunar module]] (LM) Falcon's Descent Stage.<ref name="tehabi"/> Scott and Irwin's stay on the Moon was just under three days at 66 hours and 54 minutes.<ref name="tehabi"/>

Once the [[Space rendezvous|rendezvous]] procedure was completed between ''Falcon'' and the ''Endeavour'' [[Apollo Command/Service Module|CSM]], Irwin and Scott were busy moving items like rock samples into the CSM and preparing the lunar module for final separation. During this intense period of work the earliest symptoms of a heart condition appeared.<ref name="chaikin"/> Both Scott and Irwin had been working with no sleep for 23 hours, during which they conducted a final moonwalk, performed the ascent from the lunar surface, rendezvoused with ''Endeavour'', and encountered the problems that delayed the lunar module jettison maneuver.<ref name="journal">{{cite web | last = Woods | first = David | title = Apollo 15 Flight Summary | work = Apollo Flight Journal | publisher = [[National Aeronautic and Space Administration]] | date = May 28, 2004 | url = http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ap15fj/a15summary.htm | access-date = February 15, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070324112052/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ap15fj/a15summary.htm | archive-date = March 24, 2007 }}</ref> The astronauts' [[physiological]] [[vital signs]] were being monitored back on Earth, and the [[flight surgeon]]s noticed some irregularities in Irwin's heart rhythms.<ref name="journal"/> Irwin's heart had developed [[Numbering aberrant rhythms|bigeminy]].<ref name="kraft">{{cite book| last1 = Kraft| first1 = Chris| author-link1 = Chris Kraft| last2 = Schefter| first2 = James L.| title = Flight: My life in Mission Control| publisher = [[Penguin Group]]| date = March 2001| location = New York| pages = [https://archive.org/details/flight00chri/page/342 342–34]| isbn = 0-525-94571-7| url = https://archive.org/details/flight00chri/page/342}}</ref> Charles Berry stated to [[Chris Kraft]], deputy director of the [[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center|Manned Spacecraft Center]] (MSC) at the time: "It's serious, [i]f he were on Earth. I'd have him in [[Intensive Care Unit|ICU]] being treated for a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]]."<ref name="kraft"/> However, Berry concluded that since ''Endeavour'''s cabin atmosphere was 100% oxygen when in space, Irwin was in the best of circumstances.<ref name="kraft"/> Specifically, "In truth, ... he's in an ICU.  He's getting one hundred percent oxygen, he's being continuously monitored, and best of all, he's in zero ''g''. Whatever strain his heart is under, well, we can't do better than zero ''g''."<ref name="kraft"/>

During the post-[[trans-Earth injection]] (TEI) phase of the mission there wasn't much more for Irwin to do other than provide help with [[Alfred Worden|Al Worden]]'s EVA to retrieve film magazines from the CSM's SIM bay, by donning a pressure suit and monitoring him. He was able to rest and apparently recover during the rest of the mission.<ref name="chaikin">{{cite book | last = Chaikin | first = Andrew | author-link = Andrew Chaikin | title = A Man on the Moon | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | orig-year = 1994 | year = 1998| location = Toronto | isbn = 0-14-027201-1  }}</ref> The flight surgeons continued to monitor his EKG until splashdown, but his heart rhythm was normal.<ref name="kraft"/> This incident was not discussed during the mission debriefing sessions, and the condition did not appear when he returned to Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/SignificantIncidents/assets/apollo_15_crew_debrief.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126160333/https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/SignificantIncidents/assets/apollo_15_crew_debrief.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 26, 2017|title=Apollo 15 Technical Crew Debriefing|date=August 14, 1971|publisher=NASA|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>

==Post-NASA career==
{{see also|Apollo 15 postal covers incident}}
After the return of Apollo 15 to Earth, it was discovered that without authority the crew had taken 398 commemorative [[First day of issue|first day covers]] to the Moon of which a hundred were then sold to a [[German people|German]] [[stamp dealer]]. The profits of the sale were intended to be used to establish trust funds for the children of Apollo 15's crew. NASA had turned a blind eye to similar activities on earlier flights,<ref>{{cite book|last=Worden|first=Al|author-link=Al Worden|title=Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut's Journey to the Moon|date=July 2011|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|isbn=978-1588343093}}</ref> but on this occasion the administration reprimanded the astronauts, and they never received any funds from the sales. Irwin had announced his intent to retire from the Air Force and resign from NASA prior to the reprimand.<ref name="nytimesobit">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/10/us/james-b-irwin-61-ex-astronaut-founded-religious-organization.html|title=James B. Irwin, 61, Ex-Astronaut; Founded Religious Organization|last=Wilford|first=John Noble|date=August 10, 1991|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> During a subsequent investigations by NASA, the Attorney General, and Congress, the astronauts surrendered the covers still in their possession; they were returned in 1983. ''Slate'' magazine opined that the action effectively exonerated the astronauts.<ref>{{cite news|title=U.S. Returns Stamps to Former Astronauts|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/30/us/us-returns-stamps-to-former-astronauts.html|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=July 30, 1983|page=11|access-date=December 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622172049/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/30/us/us-returns-stamps-to-former-astronauts.html|archive-date=June 22, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/12/sculpture_on_the_moon_paul_van_hoeydonck_s_fallen_astronaut.html|title=The Bizarre, Tangled Tale of the Only Sculpture on the Moon|last1=Powell|first1=Corey S.|last2=Shapiro|first2=Laurie Gwen|date=December 16, 2013|website=Slate Magazine|access-date=April 29, 2019}}</ref>

{{quote box|align=right|width=30%|quote=I felt the power of God as I'd never felt it before.|salign=right|source= Irwin, describing his experience during the Apollo 15 lunar mission.<ref name="nmspacemuseum1">{{cite web|url=http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=79 |title=International Space Hall of Fame :: New Mexico Museum of Space History :: Inductee Profile |publisher=Nmspacemuseum.org |access-date=2015-04-23}}</ref>}}

By his own admission, Irwin was not a committed Christian during his years at NASA. After his retirement as a [[colonel]] in 1972, Irwin founded the High Flight Foundation.<ref name=atevnha/> He spent the next 20 years as a "Goodwill Ambassador for the Prince of Peace", stating that "Jesus walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highflightfoundation.org/about_us |title=Colonel James B. Irwin – About Us & Board |publisher=Highflightfoundation.org |access-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211161027/http://www.highflightfoundation.org/about_us |archive-date=December 11, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He said that his experiences in space had made [[God (Christianity)|God]] more real to him than before.<ref name="nytimesobit" /> Irwin and his wife stated that his Christian rebirth, which happened while he was in space, saved their marriage and made their lives much happier.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Moon is Not Enough|last1=Irwin|first1=Mary|last2=Harris|first2=Madalene|date=1978|publisher=Zondervan Publishing House|isbn=9780310370505|language=en|oclc=3845054}}</ref>

Beginning in 1973, Irwin led several [[Searches for Noah's Ark|expeditions]] to [[Mount Ararat]], Turkey, in search of the remains of [[Noah's Ark]].<ref name=atevnha/> In 1982, he was injured during the descent and had to be transported down the mountain on horseback.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/18/world/rush-to-climb-ararat-gives-a-town-a-lift.html|title=Rush To Climb Ararat Gives Town A Lift|last=Howe|first=Marvine|work=The New York Times|date=September 18, 1983 |access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> In ''More Than Earthlings'', Irwin wrote expressing his view that the [[Genesis creation narrative]] was real, literal history.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Bergman | first1=Jerry | title=Colonel James Irwin: Creationist Astronaut | url=https://www.icr.org/article/7724/ | date=2013 | publisher=[[Institute for Creation Research]] (from Acts & Facts. 42 (11)) | access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Irwin|first=James B.|title=More Than Earthlings: An Astronaut's Thoughts for Christ-Centered Living|date=July 1983|publisher=Baptist Sunday School Board|isbn=978-0805452556}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Col. James Benson Irwin (18974687520).jpg|thumb|Grave of Irwin at [[Arlington National Cemetery]]]]
Irwin suffered three major [[Heart attack|heart attacks]]. One occurred less than two years after Apollo 15, when Irwin was 43, while he was playing [[handball]]; he underwent an emergency triple [[Coronary artery bypass graft|bypass]] operation. Two months later he suffered a subsequent heart attack while skiing in Colorado. Irwin suffered another heart attack on June 6, 1986, when he collapsed during a run and was found pulseless on a curb.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/08/us/ex-astronaut-apparently-has-heart-attack-while-jogging.html|title=Ex-Astronaut Apparently Has Heart Attack While Jogging|work=The New York Times|date=June 8, 1986|access-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> Doctors from NASA doubted the incidents were related to space travel, and noted that pre-flight testing indicated him having a tendency for [[cardiac arrhythmias]] during strenuous exercise.<ref name="nytimesobit"/>

On August 8, 1991, Irwin suffered another heart attack after a bicycle ride. Attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful, and Irwin died later that day. He is buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jbirwin.htm Arlington National Cemetery]</ref> He and his wife, Mary Ellen, to whom he was married for three decades, had five children.<ref name="nytimesobit"/>

Of the 12 [[List of people who have walked on the Moon|men who have walked on the Moon]], Irwin was the first to die. The [[James Irwin Charter High School|James Irwin Charter School]]s were founded in Colorado in his honor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jamesirwin.org|title=James Irwin Charter Schools|publisher=James Irwin Charter Schools|access-date=April 14, 2024}}</ref>

A patch cut by Irwin from a backpack abandoned on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission was auctioned at [[Christie's]] in 2001 for $310,500 in a consignment of material from Irwin's estate that garnered "a combined $500,000".<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Antiques Roadshow Insider |title=Irwin backpack patch sale|volume=7 |issue=2 |page=11 |date=February 2007}}</ref>

==Organizations==
Irwin was a member of the [[Air Force Association]] and the [[Society of Experimental Test Pilots]].<ref name="nasabio" />  He was also a [[Freemason]], initiated in Tejon Lodge No. 104 in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://freemasoninformation.com/masonic-education/famous/masonic-astronauts/ |title = Masonic Astronauts |date = March 2015 |publisher = Freemason Information |access-date = August 20, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/spacemason/ |title = Freemasons in Space |publisher = Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon |access-date = August 20, 2018 }}</ref> He was the third Freemason to set foot on the Moon, after [[Buzz Aldrin]] and [[Edgar Mitchell]].

Irwin was a member of [[Civitan International]], a nonprofit organization promoting community service, scientific research, and service to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Civitan International Clergy Week|url=https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0018/86335064.pdf|website=Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
|date=1974|access-date=January 29, 2023|page=4}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
*[[Astronaut Badge#U.S. Air Force astronauts|Command Pilot Astronaut Wings]]<ref name="nasabio" />
*[[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]]<ref name="nasabio" />
*two [[Air Force Commendation Medal]]s<ref name="nasabio" />
*[[NASA Distinguished Service Medal]]<ref name="nasabio" />
*[[United Nations Peace Medal]], 1971<ref name="nasabio" />
*City of [[New York City|New York]] Gold Medal, 1971<ref name="nasabio" />
*City of [[Chicago]] Gold Medal, 1971<ref name="nasabio" />
*[[Air Force Association]]'s [[David C. Schilling]] Trophy, 1971<ref name="nasabio" />
*[[Robert J. Collier Trophy]], 1971<ref name="nasabio" />
*Haley Astronautics Award ([[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]]), 1972<ref name="nasabio" />
*[[Arnold Air Society]]'s John F. Kennedy Trophy, 1972<ref name="nasabio" />

Irwin's other awards include: Belgium's [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] in 1971; Kitty Hawk Memorial Award, 1971; [[New York Police Department]] St. George Association's Golden Rule Award in 1972; Christian Service Award; Milan Hulbert Trophy of SWAP International in 1973.<ref name="nasabio" />

He was also awarded an [[Honorary degree|Honorary Doctorate]] of Astronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1971; an [[Honorary degree|Honorary]] [[Doctorate of Science]] from the [[William Jewell College]] in 1971; and an [[Honorary degree|Honorary]] [[Doctor of Science|D.Sc.]] from the [[Samford University]] in 1972.<ref name="nasabio" />

He was inducted into the [[New Mexico Museum of Space History|International Space Hall of Fame]] in 1983,<ref name="nmspacemuseum1"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29964158/el_paso_times/|title=Space Hall Inducts 14 Apollo Program Astronauts|last1=Sheppard|first1=David|newspaper=El Paso Times|location=El Paso, Texas|date=October 2, 1983|page=18|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and posthumously into the [[United States Astronaut Hall of Fame|U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame]], on October 4, 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://astronautscholarship.org/Astronauts/james-b-irwin/ |title=James B. Irwin &#124; Astronaut Scholarship Foundation |publisher=Astronautscholarship.org |access-date=April 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28283877/florida_today/|title=Ceremony to Honor Astronauts|newspaper=Florida Today|location=Cocoa, Florida|page=2B|date=October 2, 1997|last1=Meyer|first1=Marilyn|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

In 1973, When Irwin visited the city of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]], to address a gathering at the First [[Southern Baptist Convention|Baptist Church]], [[Mayor]] Tom Colten declared "James Irwin Day" and made Irwin an "[[honorary citizenship|honorary citizen]] of Minden."<ref>Pop McDonald, "Mayor Makes Col. James Irwin an 'Honorary Citizen of Minden,'" ''[[Minden Press-Herald]],'' February 26, 1973, p. 1.</ref>

==In media==
In the 1998 [[HBO]] [[miniseries]] ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]'' Irwin was played by [[Gareth Williams (American actor)|Gareth Williams]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120570/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=From the Earth to the Moon, Full Cast and Crew|website=IMDb|access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
*''To Rule the Night: The Discovery Voyage of Astronaut Jim Irwin'' (with  William A. Emerson, Jr., 1973)
*''[[More Than Earthlings]]'' (1983)
*''More Than an Ark on Ararat: Spiritual Lessons Learned While Searching for Noah's Ark'' (with Monte Unger, 1985)
*''Destination: Moon'' (1989)
*''Flight Of The Falcon: The Thrilling Adventures Of Colonel Jim Irwin (1991)

==See also==
*[[List of spaceflight records]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{IMDb name|0410393}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20161228021651/http://astronautix.com/i/irwin.html James Irwin] at [[Encyclopedia Astronautica]]
*[https://www.icr.org/article/7724/ Institute of Creation Research biography of James Irwin]
*[http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/I/Irwin.html Irwin at Encyclopedia of Science]
*[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jbirwin.htm Arlington National Cemetery biography and photos]
*[http://www.highflightfoundation.org/ High Flight Foundation]
*[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgVpcndpbhIFamFtZXM-/ ANC Explorer]

{{People who have traveled to the Moon|state=expanded}}
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[[Category:James Irwin| ]]
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