Youth, war, and alcohol -- Business success and statewide office -- Races for governor -- 1963's political battles : liquor by the drink and the Shaff Plan -- Helping the downtrodden -- Reapportionment and reform -- LBJ's "Favorite Governor" and re-election -- The historic 1965 Iowa Legislature -- Where angels fear to tread -- Vietnam, state politics, and aid to alcoholics -- Third-term re-election -- Presidential confrontation and state reform -- Civil rights, the crisis conferences, and a senate candidacy -- Political upheaval in Iowa and the nation -- The 1968 Democratic Convention and senate race -- The Hughes Act and federal aid to alcoholics -- Angry dove on the national stage -- Democratic party reformer and presidential candidate -- Secret bombing over North Vietnam -- 1972 election defeats and victories, and a maverick war critic -- Leaving the senate and welcoming Charles Colson -- Life past politics, almost.
Summary:
This is a biography of Harold E. Hughes, a man of working-class origins who overcame severe alcoholism to become Iowa governor (1963-1969) and U.S. Senator (1969-1974). A Democrat in traditionally Republican Iowa, he -- through his charismatic leadership -- helped transform Iowa into a competitive two-party state. As governor, he reformed state government. As senator, he was an outspoken leader against the Vietnam War and the American military, including exposing covert operations such as the illegal bombing of North Vietnam in 1972. He launched the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism with the underlying principle that alcoholism is a disease, not a personal moral failure, impacting thousands of alcoholics through the years. Hughes was driven by a moral compass guided by his Christian beliefs, stemming from an intense, life-long search into the deep river of his soul. Unlike others of his time, however, who took Christianity to conservative political ends, Hughes' theology steered him to politics left of center, making him distinctive among other politicians of his day who publicly professed Christian beliefs.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.