Thunder from the Prairie

In Thunder from the Prairie, Jerry Harrington explores the life of Harold E. Hughes: a man of working-class origins who overcame severe alcoholism to become Iowa governor (1963–1969) and US Senator (1969–1974).

As a Democratic governor in traditionally Republican Iowa, Hughes, through his charismatic leadership, helped transform Iowa into a competitive two-party state while modernizing state government to make it more responsive to the contemporary needs of its citizens. Hughes was an outspoken leader against the Vietnam War and the American military as senator, and he exposed covert operations such as the illegal bombings of North Vietnam and Cambodia.

Relying upon his experience with alcoholism that nearly cost him his life, Senator Hughes spearheaded the creation of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which was founded on the principle that alcoholism is a disease, not a personal moral failure. Hughes’s moral compass was guided by his Christian beliefs, steering him to politics left of center. In this way, Hughes was distinctive among other openly Christian politicians of his day, whose theology manifested in conservative politics.

Jerry Harrington’s detailed Thunder from the Prairie is the first book-length treatment of Harold E. Hughes. The work fills major gaps in the history of Iowa and Midwestern political history, as well as the history of the “Long Sixties” (from the late 1950s to the early 1970s). Hughes was an impactful actor within the rise of postwar American liberalism, the conflict over the Vietnam War, and the civil rights movement, and led the effort to reform the Democratic Party to make it more open to women, minorities, and young people.

Preface

Introduction

1. Youth, War, and Alcohol

2. Business Success and Statewide Office

3. Running for Governor

4. 1963’s Political Battles: Liquor by the Drink and the Shaff Plan

5. Helping the Downtrodden

6. Reapportionment and Reform

7. LBJ’s “Favorite Governor” and Reelection

8. The Historic 1965 Iowa Legislature

9. Where Angels Fear to Tread

10. Vietnam, State Politics, and Aid to Alcoholics

11. Third-Term Reelection

12. Presidential Confrontation and State Reform

13. Civil Rights, Crisis Conferences, and a Senate Candidacy

14. Political Upheaval in Iowa and the Nation

15. The 1968 Democratic Convention and Senate Race

16. The Hughes Act and Federal Aid to Alcoholics

17. Angry Dove on the National State

18. Democratic Party Reformer and Presidential Candidate

19. Secret Bombing over North Vietnam

20. Election Defeats and Victories and a Maverick War Critic

21. Leaving the Senate and Welcoming Charles Colson

22. Life Past Politics—Almost

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index