LIFE.com

Alan Shepard: 1st American in Space

Alan Shepard Enjoys His Fame at Home

Alan Shepard Enjoys His Fame at Home

Shepard reads fan mail after returning from space. His career was far from over. In 1971, he would famously hit golf balls on the moon as an Apollo 14 astronaut.

In this photo: Alan B. Shepard [Misc.]

Photo: Ralph Morse/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

May 19, 1961