| Date Span: | 1962-1975 |
| Creator: | Hughes, Harold E. (1922-1996) |
| Extent: | 200.00 linear feet. |
| Collection Number: | MSC0385 |
| Repository: | University of Iowa Special Collections |
| Summary: | Governor and U.S. Senator from Iowa. Gubernatorial and senatorial office files relating to his political career. |
Harold Everett Hughes was born near Ida Grove, Iowa on February 10, 1922. Struggling against rural poverty, he attended public schools and was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Iowa. He quit school after his freshman year and was married. In 1942, Hughes enlisted in the army and saw combat in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He was sent home after contracting both jaundice and malaria, serving out the remainder of his enlistment stateside.
Hughes took a job driving trucks after the war. It was through trucking that he first became involved in politics. He founded the Iowa Better Trucking Bureau to represent small truckers. In 1958, after switching political parties from Republican to Democrat, Hughes ran for a seat on the Iowa State Commerce Commission. He was elected and served from 1959 to 1962. In 1963, Hughes was elected governor of Iowa, defeating the incumbent Republican , Governor Erbe. He went on the serve for three terms. Elected to the US Senate (1968 -- 1975), he briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1971, and chose not to seek re-election to the Senate in 1974.
Harold Everett Hughes was very much a man shaped by his past. The poverty he experienced during his youth, his battle with alcoholism, his blue-collar background, and his strong religious faith all worked to mold the man and his politics. He opposed the death penalty and the Vietnam War, worked tirelessly for alcohol and drug abuse legislation, was involved in conservation issues, and was regarded as a liberal Democrat and a charismatic candidate.
Harold Hughes died October 23, 1996 in Glendale, Arizona.
Alternate Extent Statement: Photographs in Box 38, Oversized Boxes S238 and S250; Campaign posters in Oversized Box S250; Film/Video in Boxes 46, S249 and Oversized Box 250; Audiocasette tapes in Boxes 16, 39-46, and S239-S248.
Access: This collection is open for research.
Use: Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.
Acquisition: This collection was donated to the University of Iowa Libraries in 1975 by Governor Hughes.
Preferred Citation: Harold E. Hughes Papers, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.
| Repository: | University of Iowa Special Collections |
| Address: | Special Collections Department University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA 52242 |
| Phone: | 319-335-5921 |
| Curator: | Greg Prickman |
| Email: | lib-spec@uiowa.edu |
| Website: | http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/ |
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