The Q — Astronaut James B. Irwin

This is the latest in an occasional series of posts about history of The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

Local reporters seemed more interested in mystery than science when NASA astronaut James B. Irwin spoke July 18, 1979 at The Queensbury Hotel.

“Asked if he thought there was any other intelligent life on other planets,” Irwin answered, “Probably not,” The Post-Star reported the next day.

“Questioned on having seen any UFOs, he said he had, but thought most were ‘space junk,’ and if there were any such things they were probably of ‘earth origin,’ and he hoped they belonged to the United States.”

About 250 people attended the dinner that Glens Falls Mayor Edward Bartholomew hosted to commemorate the tenth anniversary man walking on the moon.

Irwin, who flew on the Apollo 15 mission, Irwin’s wife, and Jack Wyrtzen, director of Word of Life in Schroon Lake, spoke.

Irwin advocated for increased funding and public support for NASA.

Bartholomew gave Irwin a plaque, and Irwin gave Bartholomew a photograph of the astronaut placing a United States flag on the moon.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.