Editing Robert A. Heinlein (section)

===Marriages===
In 1929, Heinlein married Elinor Curry of Kansas City.<ref>"Social Affairs of the Army and Navy", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''; September 1, 1929; p. B8.</ref> However, their marriage lasted only about one year.<ref name="hine-line_soc"/> His second marriage, to Leslyn MacDonald (1904–1981) in 1932, lasted 15 years. MacDonald was, according to the testimony of Heinlein's Navy friend, [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Cal Laning]], "astonishingly intelligent, widely read, and extremely liberal, though a registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]",<ref>Patterson, William H. ''Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Vol. 1—Learning Curve (1907–1948)'', Tor Books, August 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-7653-1960-9}}</ref> while Isaac Asimov later recalled that Heinlein was, at the time, "a flaming [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]]".<ref name=autogenerated1>Isaac Asimov, ''I, Asimov''.</ref> ''(See section: [[#Politics|Politics of Robert Heinlein]].)''

[[File:heinleins-house.jpg|thumb|Virginia and Robert Heinlein in a 1952 ''Popular Mechanics'' article, titled "A House to Make Life Easy". The Heinleins, both engineers, designed the house for themselves with many innovative features.]]

At the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]], Heinlein met and befriended a [[chemical engineer]] named [[Virginia Heinlein|Virginia "Ginny" Gerstenfeld]]. After the war, her engagement having fallen through, she attended [[UCLA]] for doctoral studies in [[chemistry]], and while there reconnected with Heinlein. As his second wife's [[alcoholism]] gradually spun out of control,<ref>{{cite book |title= Robert A. Heinlein: 1907–1948, learning curve| last=Patterson |first=William |year= 2010 |publisher= Tom Doherty Associates |location= New York |isbn= 978-0-7653-1960-9 |chapter= Chapter 27|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Z93OvsN2yq8C&q=heinlein+cronkite&pg=PA13 |access-date= April 12, 2011}}</ref> Heinlein moved out and the couple filed for divorce. Heinlein's friendship with Virginia turned into a relationship and on October 21, 1948—shortly after the [[decree nisi]] came through—they married in the town of [[Raton, New Mexico]]. Soon thereafter, they set up housekeeping in the Broadmoor district of [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], in a house that Heinlein and his wife designed. As the area was newly developed, they were allowed to choose their own house number, 1776 Mesa Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2011/05/31/colorado-voices-the-festival-of-history/|title=Colorado Voices: The festival of history|date=May 31, 2011|access-date=October 1, 2020|archive-date=December 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202162531/https://www.denverpost.com/2011/05/31/colorado-voices-the-festival-of-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> The design of the house was featured in ''[[Popular Mechanics]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/pm652-art-hi.html|title=site: Robert A. Heinlein - Archives - PM 6/52 Article|website=www.nitrosyncretic.com|access-date=October 1, 2020|archive-date=October 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013112938/http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/pm652-art-hi.html|url-status=live}}</ref> They remained married until Heinlein's death. In 1965, after various chronic health problems of Virginia's were traced back to [[altitude sickness]], they moved to [[Santa Cruz, California]], which is at [[sea level]]. Robert and Virginia designed and built a new residence, circular in shape, in the adjacent village of [[Bonny Doon, California|Bonny Doon]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/history/bonnydoon1.html | title=Heinlein Society Photo Tour of Bonny Doon | access-date=April 15, 2020 | archive-date=August 6, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806161550/https://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/history/bonnydoon1.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Heinlein, Robert A. ''[[Grumbles from the Grave]]'', ch. VII.  1989.</ref>

[[File:Heinlein Tahiti 2.jpg|thumb|left|Robert and Virginia Heinlein in [[Tahiti]], 1980]]

Ginny undoubtedly served as a model for many of his intelligent, fiercely independent female characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/works/articles/heinleinswomendeb.html |title=''The Rolling Stone'' |publisher=Heinleinsociety.org |date=May 24, 2003 |access-date=May 16, 2012 |archive-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218062457/http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/works/articles/heinleinswomendeb.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/works/articles/heinleinswomengeo.html |title=Heinlein's Women, by G. E. Rule |publisher=Heinleinsociety.org |date=May 24, 2003 |access-date=May 16, 2012 |archive-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802004444/http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/works/articles/heinleinswomengeo.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>  She was a chemist and [[rocket engineering|rocket test engineer]], and held a higher rank in the Navy than Heinlein himself. She was also an accomplished college athlete, earning four [[varsity letter]]s.<ref name = virginia/> In 1953–1954, the Heinleins voyaged around the world (mostly via [[ocean liner]]s and [[cargo liner]]s, as Ginny detested flying), which Heinlein described in ''[[Tramp Royale]].'' The trip provided background material for science fiction novels set aboard spaceships on long voyages, such as ''[[Podkayne of Mars]]'', ''[[Friday (novel)|Friday]]'' and ''[[Job: A Comedy of Justice]]'', the latter initially being set on a cruise much as detailed in ''Tramp Royale''. Ginny acted as the first reader of his [[manuscript]]s. Isaac Asimov believed that Heinlein made a swing to the [[right-wing politics|right]] politically at the same time he married Ginny.