View source for Harold Hughes

{{Short description|American politician (1922–1996)}}
{{for-multi|the British architect|Harold Hughes (architect)|the Welsh footballer|Harold Hughes (footballer)|Governor of Maryland|Harry Hughes}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Harold Hughes
|image        = Governor Harold Hughes.jpg
|caption      = Official portrait of Hughes as Governor
|jr/sr        = United States Senator
|state        = [[Iowa]]
|term_start   = January 3, 1969
|term_end     = January 3, 1975
|predecessor  = [[Bourke B. Hickenlooper|Bourke Hickenlooper]]
|successor    = [[John Culver]]
|order1       = 36th [[List of governors of Iowa|Governor of Iowa]]
|lieutenant1  = [[W. L. Mooty]]<br>Robert D. Fulton
|term_start1  = January 17, 1963
|term_end1    = January 1, 1969
|predecessor1 = [[Norman A. Erbe]]
|successor1   = [[Robert D. Fulton]]
|birth_name   = Harold Everett Hughes
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1922|2|10}}
|birth_place  = [[Ida Grove, Iowa]], U.S.
|death_date   = {{death date and age|1996|10|23|1922|2|10}}
|death_place  = [[Glendale, Arizona]], U.S.
|party        = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (before 1960)<br>[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (1960–1996)
|spouse       = {{ubl |{{marriage|Eva Mercer|1941|1987|end=div}} |{{marriage|Julianne Holm|1987}}}}
|children     = 3
|education    = [[University of Iowa]] (attended)
|allegiance   = {{flag|United States|1912}}
|branch       = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1942–1945
|rank         = [[Private (rank)|Private]]
|unit         = [[16th Infantry Regiment (United States)|16th InfantryRegiment]], [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]]<ref name="military">{{cite web |title=Turning Point to Recovery &vert; Harold Hughes |work=[[PBS]] |url=https://iowa.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/turning-point-to-recovery-video/governors-of-iowa-harold-hughes/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref>
|battles      = {{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Operation Torch|Algeria-French Morocco]]
** [[Tunisia Campaign|Tunisia]]
** [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]]
*** [[Allied invasion of Sicily|Operation Husky]]
**** [[Battle of Troina]]
** [[Operation Overlord|Northern France]]
*** [[Invasion of Normandy|Operation Overlord]]
*** [[Operation Cobra]]
** [[Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine|Rhineland]]
*** [[Battle of the Mons pocket]]
*** [[Battle of Aachen]]
** [[Battle of Hürtgen Forest]]
** [[Battle of the Bulge]]
*** [[Battle of Elsenborn Ridge]]
** [[Western Allied invasion of Germany|Central Europe]]
*** [[Operation Lumberjack]]
*** [[Battle of Remagen]]
{{tree list/end}}
}}
'''Harold Everett Hughes''' (February 10, 1922 – October 23, 1996) was an American politician who served as the [[List of governors of Iowa|36th Governor]] of [[Iowa]] from 1963 until 1969, and as a [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from Iowa from 1969 until 1975.<ref name="NGA">{{cite web|url=https://www.nga.org/governor/harold-everett-hughes/|title=Governor Harold Everett Hughes|date=13 January 1983 |publisher=[[National Governors Association]]|access-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref><ref name="uofi">{{cite web|url=https://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=191|title=THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IOWA University of Iowa Press Digital Editions Hughes, Harold Everett|publisher=[[University of Iowa]]|access-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref><ref name= "congressbio">{{Cite web|title=Ex-Governor ordered to pay back alimony|url=https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/H000922|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref><ref name="obit">{{Cite news|date=1996-10-25|title=Harold Hughes Dies at age 74; former Iowa governor, senator|pages=4|work=[[The News and Observer]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer/172479766/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref><ref name= "obit2">{{Cite news|date=1996-10-31|title=Former governor Harold Hughes dies|pages=9|work=Agri News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/agri-news/172479773/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref><ref name= "obit3">{{Cite news|date=1996-10-25|title=Iowa's Harold Hughes dies; ex-senator, 3-term governor|pages=28|work=[[The Arizona Republic]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic/172479775/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref> He began his political career as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] but changed his affiliation to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in 1960.

== Early years ==

Hughes was born in 1922 in [[Ida Grove, Iowa]], to Lewis C. Hughes and Etta Estelle (Kelly) Hughes.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name="uofi"/><ref name="obit2"/> He attended the [[University of Iowa]] on a football scholarship in 1940, but left after marrying Eva Mercer in August 1941.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name="uofi"/> They had 3 daughters.<ref name= "uofi"/><ref name= "congressbio"/>

On June 1, 1942, his brother Jesse was killed in a car accident when their vehicle struck a concrete bridge and fell into a river 15 feet below.<ref name= "jesse">{{Cite news|date=1942-06-03|title=Identify Girls Killed in Crash|pages=1|work=[[The Sioux City Journal]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-city-journal/172478919/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref> Jesse, along with Leroy Conrad, were going to be inducted into the Army the following week, due to [[Selective Service]].<ref name= "jesse"/> Two girls, along with Leroy and Jesse, died in the crash as well.<ref name= "jesse"/> Jesse's death was attributed as a leading cause of Hughes's alcoholism and his renunciation of his [[Methodist]] faith.<ref name= "uofi"/>

=== Military ===

He was drafted in 1942.

He served in the [[United States Army]], fighting in the [[North African campaign]],<ref name="NGA"/><ref name= "congressbio"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/> and was court-martialed for assaulting an officer.<ref name="uofi"/> The trial resulted in Hughes's being sent to fight, with the [[16th Infantry Regiment (United States)|16th Infantry]] of the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Division]],<ref name="military"/> in [[Sicily]] in 1943.<ref name="NGA"/> He became ill and another soldier took his place on a landing craft at [[Anzio]]. The craft exploded, killing his replacement and many others. He was sent stateside for the rest of the war after contracting [[jaundice]] and [[malaria]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biographical Notes|publisher=[[University of Iowa]]|url=https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/scua/msc/tomsc400/msc385/msc385.htm|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref>

=== Marriages ===

Hughes and his first wife, Eva, divorced in 1987.<ref name= "alimony"/> Six weeks after the divorce, he married his former secretary, Julie Holm, with whom he had been living with for a year while he was separated from Eva.<ref name= "alimony"/> Hughes moved to Arizona and lived in a single-family home with his second wife, while his first wife lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Iowa. <ref name= "alimony"/>

Hughes and his former wife got into bitter alimony and child support battles in the late 1980s and early 1990s.<ref name= "alimony">{{Cite news|date=1996-08-28|title=Ex-Governor ordered to pay back alimony|pages=12|work=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)|The Gazette]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/172479531/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hLTEVqIqWoUC&q=harold+hughes+iowa|title=The man from Ida Grove: a senator's personal story|last1=Hughes|first1=Harold E.|last2=Schneider|first2=Dick|date=1979-01-01|publisher=Chosen Books|isbn=9780912376387|language=en}}</ref> Hughes's former wife claimed that he had completely cut off her annuities and health insurance, while Hughes claimed that he himself did not have money.<ref name= "alimony"/> Ultimately, Hughes was ordered to pay back over $10,000 to his former wife, which she successfully collected from his estate.<ref name= "alimony"/> Because of the Harold Hughes Center's declining fortunes, Hughes owed approximately $80,000 to creditors in the 1990s.<ref name= "alimony"/> Combined with increasing medical expenses and the court-ordered alimony payments, Hughes's debts increased dramatically during his last years, and he died virtually bankrupt.<ref name= "alimony"/>

== Political career ==

Hughes's interest in politics was stirred by involvement in the trucking industry. He became a manager of a local trucking business, and then began organizing independent truckers.<ref name="NGA"/> Hughes started the Iowa Better Trucking Bureau<ref name="NGA"/><ref name="uofi"/> and was eventually elected to the State Commerce Commission board, which he served from 1958 to 1962, including a term as its chairman.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name="uofi"/><ref name= "congressbio"/><ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/>

In 1952, after years as an alcoholic, Hughes attempted suicide.<ref name="uofi"/> He described in his book how he climbed into a bathtub (to make the mess easier to clean up) with a shotgun, ready to pull the trigger, when he cried out to God for help.<ref name="uofi"/> He had a spiritual experience that changed the course of his life.<ref name="uofi"/> He began to pray and study the Bible diligently, and even considered a career in the ministry. He also embraced the [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] program of recovery and started an AA group in Ida Grove in 1955.

==Governor of Iowa==

=== 1960 gubernatorial campaign ===

Hughes grew up as a Republican in a heavily Republican area, but was persuaded to switch parties. His service on the State Commerce Commission also brought him in contact with the Interstate Commerce Commission and national politics. 

He then ran for Governor of Iowa on the Democratic ticket in [[1960 Iowa gubernatorial election|1960]] but lost the Democratic primary to [[Edward Joseph McManus|Edward McManus]] by 28,448 votes.<ref name="obit2"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/60s/1960primcanv.pdf |title=Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa Primary Election |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Iowa]] |year=1960 |access-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref> McManus then lost the general election to [[Norman A. Erbe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/60s/1960gencanv.pdf |title=Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa General Election |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Iowa]] |year=1960 |access-date=March 25, 2020}}</ref>

=== 1962 gubernatorial campaign and first term ===

Hughes ran again for governor in [[1962 Iowa gubernatorial election|1962]], beating Lewis E. Lint in the Democratic primary by 48,854 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/60s/1962primcanv.pdf |title=Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa Primary Election |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Iowa]] |year=1962 |access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Hughes ran again and defeated incumbent Republican [[Norman A. Erbe|Norman Erbe]] by 41,944 votes.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/60s/1962gencanv.pdf |title=Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa General Election |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Iowa]] |year=1962 |access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref>

A major issue in that campaign was legalization of liquor-by-the-drink.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/> Iowa allowed only beer to be consumed over the bar. Liquor and wine could be purchased only in state liquor stores and private clubs. Hughes became a proponent of liquor-by-the-drink.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/> A short time after he was elected, the state adopted a new system of alcohol control.

Hughes served as governor from 1963 to 1969.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name= "congressbio"/> During this time, he continued to reach out, as a Christian and an alcoholic in recovery, to people still suffering. He established a treatment program in the state and was an effective spokesman for a more enlightened view of the role of alcohol in society. The new treatment program was viewed as an alternative to the state mental hospitals. Hughes wrote that the goal was to reach alcoholics "before they reach rock bottom."

He played a role in the enactment of several amendments to the [[Iowa Constitution]]: two providing for legislative reapportionment and Iowa Supreme Court review of reapportionment, one initiating an annual session of the General Assembly, and finally another to give the governor a line item veto.<ref name="uofi"/>

During Hughes's tenure, he oversaw the institution of a state scholarship program, issued an agricultural tax credit, created a state civil rights commission, and passed a property tax replacement bill.<ref name="NGA"/> Hughes implemented an educational radio television system and helped improved workmen’s and unemployment compensation laws.<ref name="uofi"/> Hughes sanctioned additional state funding for school aid and authorized a consumer safeguard bill. Hughes also helped eliminate the death penalty in Iowa.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name="uofi"/>

A death penalty opponent,<ref name="uofi"/> Hughes reached out to President [[John F. Kennedy]] to request he commute the death sentence of [[Victor Feguer]], who had been convicted on federal murder charges. The President was the only one who could commute the sentence, but Kennedy thought the crime was so brutal that he denied the request.

Meanwhile, Hughes's political career continued to gain strength. He made a speech seconding the nomination of [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] at the 1964 Democratic convention—a decision he would eventually regret—and gained national recognition as a liberal governor as well as a promising national figure in the Democratic Party. Trade missions abroad, and a tour of Vietnam with other governors, provided him with foreign policy experience.

=== 1964 gubernatorial election second term ===

In his [[1964 Iowa gubernatorial election|1964]] bid for reelection as governor, Hughes's opponent, [[Evan Hultman]], called attention to Hughes's brief relapse into alcoholism in 1954. In a debate, Hultman charged that Hughes's failure to acknowledge the relapse publicly showed that Hughes lacked integrity. Hughes responded, "I am an alcoholic and will be until the day I die.... But with God's help I'll never touch a drop of alcohol again. Now, can we talk about the issues of this campaign?" According to the ''[[Des Moines Register]]''', "The reaction of the crowd was immediate and nearly unanimous." Later, the ''Register'' editorialized, "In our opinion, any man or woman who wins that battle and successfully puts the pieces of his or her life back together again deserves commendation, not censure." Hughes defeated Hultman in a landslide, winning all but two of the state's 99 counties.

=== 1966 Iowa gubernatorial election and third term ===

In [[1966 Iowa gubernatorial election|1966]], Hughes won the Democratic primary without opposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/60s/1966primcanv.pdf |title=Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa Primary Election |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Iowa]] |year=1966 |access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> He then defated William G. Murray in the general election by 99,741 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/60s/1966gencanv.pdf |title=Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa General Election |publisher=[[Secretary of State of Iowa]] |year=1966 |access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> 

He resigned as governor on January 1, 1969, just two days before being sworn in as U.S. Senator.<ref name="NGA"/> He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor [[Robert D. Fulton]].

=== U.S. Senator from Iowa ===
==== Elections ====

In 1966, his friendship with [[Robert F. Kennedy]] started, and it was Kennedy who encouraged him to run for a Senate seat. The next years were difficult, in the wake of the 1968 [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|assassinations of Kennedy]] and [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|of Martin Luther King Jr.]], racial unrest in Iowa, and his increasing disappointment with American policy in [[Vietnam]] and the leadership of the Johnson administration.

At the [[1968 Democratic National Convention]], Hughes was giving a nominating speech for anti-war candidate [[Eugene McCarthy]] when violent demonstrations erupted on the streets of Chicago.<ref name="uofi"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/> In the general election in [[1968 United States Senate election in Iowa|1968]], Hughes was a heavy favorite to defeat Republican candidate [[David M. Stanley]], a state senator from [[Muscatine, Iowa|Muscatine]], for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican [[Bourke B. Hickenlooper|Bourke Hickenlooper]]. Hughes narrowly defeated Stanley, and took his seat on January 3, 1969.<ref name= "congressbio"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=7035|title = Our Campaigns - IA US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1968}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url= http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1968election.pdf | title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1968 | author=[[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives]] | publisher=[[U.S. Government Printing Office]] | year=1969}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Leip |first1=David |title=1968 Senatorial General Election Results - Iowa |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1956&off=3&class=undefined&elect=0&fips=19&f=0 |website=US Election Atlas |publisher=David Leip's Election Atlas |access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref>

===== Leader on alcoholism and narcotics addiction =====

As a U.S. Senator, Hughes persuaded the chairman of the Senate's Labor and Public Welfare Committee to establish a Special Sub-committee on Alcoholism and Narcotics, chaired by Hughes himself. This subcommittee, which gave unprecedented attention to the subject, held public hearings on July 23–25, 1969. A number of people in recovery testified, including Academy Award-winning actress [[Mercedes McCambridge]], National Council on Alcoholism founder [[Marty Mann]], and AA co-founder [[Bill W.]] In his autobiography, ''The Man from Ida Grove: A Senator's Personal Story'', Hughes writes that he asked a dozen other well-known people in recovery to present public testimony, but all declined. The hearings were considered by some in AA a threat to anonymity and sobriety.

Hughes also talked about the need for treatment of drug addiction. He stated that "treatment is virtually nonexistent because addiction is not recognized as an illness." The hearings, and subsequent events related to alcoholism and addiction, were not given much press attention because the press was more interested in the Vietnam War, poverty, and other critical issues. Legislation creating the [[National Institute on Drug Abuse]] was not passed until 1974.

The goal of the [[Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970]], considered a "major milestone" in the nation's efforts to deal with alcohol abuse and alcoholism, was "to help millions of alcoholics recover and save thousands of lives on highways, reduce crime, decrease the welfare rolls, and cut down the appalling economic waste from alcoholism."<ref name="obit"/><ref name= "nih">{{Cite web|url=https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/senator-harold-hughes-memorial-award|title=Senator Harold Hughes Memorial Award|website=nih.gov|publisher=[[National Institute of Health]]|date=May 16, 2025}}</ref> It also established the [[National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism]].<ref name="uofi"/><ref name= "nih"/> He also created the Society of Americans for Recovery.<ref name="uofi"/>

==== Touted as a presidential "dark horse" ====
In early 1970, Hughes began to get press recognition as a "[[dark horse]] candidate" for the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]].<ref name= "congressbio"/><ref name="obit2"/> Columnist [[David Broder]] described him as "a very dark horse, but the only Democrat around who excites the kind of personal enthusiasm the Kennedys used to generate."
In 1971, Hughes denounced Nixon's secret wiretapping, done through the [[FBI]].

He seemed to observers to be an almost reluctant candidate, though, and a bit too much of a "mystic" for the Washington press corps. Columnist Mary McGrory wrote of him: "He hates small talk, he likes a heavy rap. He talks about religion, and about drugs and alcohol. He hated being trotted out to cajole financiers wanting to look him over before opening the checkbook. His staff had to prod him to call party chairmen. Hughes preferred a session with the kids at the local treatment centers." The Washington establishment was not too surprised when he dropped out of the race.

According to [[Hunter S. Thompson]], [[Gary Hart]] suggested after the '72 campaign that Hughes might have been the only Democratic candidate who could have defeated Nixon.

He would then join Maine Senator [[Edmund Muskie]]'s campaign as campaign manager.<ref name="obit2"/>

==== Decision not to seek re-election ====
On September 5, 1973, Hughes announced that, after a long period of soul-searching, he would retire from the Senate when his term was completed. He said that, for "profoundly personal religious reasons" he would seek "a new kind of challenge and spiritual opportunity," and would "continue efforts in alcoholism and drug treatment fields, working for social causes and world peace." He said: "Rightly or wrongly, I believe that I can move more people through a spiritual approach more effectively than I have been able to achieve through the political approach."

In 1974, his last full year in the Senate,<ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/> he succeeded in passing legislation that extended and expanded the original 1970 act. He was invited to the signing of the bill by President Nixon, but "couldn't bring myself to attend, since his administration had fought it every inch of the way." Democratic Congressman [[John Culver]] defeated Stanley, whom Hughes had defeated in 1968, to succeed Hughes in [[1974 United States Senate election in Iowa|1974]].

== Post-Senate years and retirement ==

After he left the Senate, Hughes devoted himself to lay religious work for two foundations based in Washington and also founded a religious retreat at Cedar Point Farms in [[Maryland]] (owned by Hughes himself). He had been active in prayer groups while serving in the Senate, and the last few chapters of his autobiography gave this aspect of his life special prominence. Hughes partnered with former Nixon aide [[Charles Colson]] in his religious work, and even portrayed himself in the 1978 motion picture ''[[Born Again (film)|Born Again]]'', starring [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]] as Colson. He also remained a strong advocate for services to chemically dependent people. For some years during the 1970s, Hughes served as the president of the [[The Fellowship (Christian organization)|Fellowship Foundation]] (also known informally in Washington as The Family). Hughes hosted prayer meetings for The Family at his Cedar Point Farms facility, even hosting [[Jimmy Carter|President Jimmy Carter]] there in 1978.<ref name="CarterCedarPoint">{{cite web|first=Jimmy|last=Carter|title=The Daily Diary of President Jimmy Carter|url=http://jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/diary/1978/d111278t.pdf|publisher=Jimmy Carter Library and Museum|date=1978-11-12|access-date=2009-07-25|archive-date=2010-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107165433/http://jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/diary/1978/d111278t.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After his retirement, Hughes served as a consultant to the Senate and the Senate Judiciary Committee for a year. He then started the Harold Hughes Foundation and opened the Harold Hughes Centers for Alcoholism and Drug Treatment.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name= "congressbio"/><ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit3"/>

After some time in Iowa, Hughes considered running in [[1982 Iowa gubernatorial election|1982]] for governor, but did not due to a residency issue.

=== Legacy ===

The [[National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism]] (NIAAA) created an award named the ''Senator Harold Hughes Memorial Award'' in honor of Hughes's work on the [[Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970]], which helped to create the NIAAA.<ref name= "nih"/>

In 1974, he was awarded ''[[Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award]]''. This is a Catholic award given for "to honor a person for their achievements in peace and justice, not only in their country but in the world".<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacem in Terris Past Recipients|url=https://davenportdiocese.org/past-recipients|publisher=Diocese of Davenport |access-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref> He was awarded for bringing "the message of the Gospel to the cause of equal education, civil rights and opposition to capital punishment."<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacem in Terris Past Recipients-Harold Hughes|url=https://davenportdiocese.org/past-recipients#SEN._HAROLD_HUGHES|publisher=Diocese of Davenport |access-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref>

=== Death ===

Hughes moved to a retirement community in [[Glendale, Arizona]]. He died in his sleep in Glendale in 1996, at the age of 74.<ref name="NGA"/><ref name= "congressbio"/><ref name="obit"/><ref name="obit2"/><ref name="obit3"/> His remains were returned to Iowa and buried in Ida Grove.<ref name= "congressbio"/> Hughes's first wife, Eva Mercer, died in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/eva-hughes-obituary?pid=183715897|title=Eva Hughes Obituary – des Moines, Iowa|website=[[Legacy.com]] |date=January 25, 2017}}</ref> Hughes's second wife, Julianne, died in 2001 in [[Winterset, Iowa]], aged 57, of cancer.<ref name= "holmobit">{{Cite news|date=2001-04-11|title=Julianne Hughes dies; former Iowa governor Harold Hughes' wife|pages=19|work=[[The Des Moines Register]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register/172480530/|access-date=2025-05-16}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Hughes–Ryan Act]]
* [[The Fellowship (Christian organization)|Fellowship Foundation]]
* [[National Prayer Breakfast]]
* [[Christian fundamentalism]]
* [[Christian right]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Hughes, Harold E. The Man From Ida Grove: A Senator's Personal Story . Waco, Tex.: Word Books, 1979; Larew, James C. "A Party Reborn: Harold Hughes and the Iowa Democrats." Palimpsest 59 (September/October 1978): 148–61.
* Anonymous. "Conversation with Senator Harold Hughes." Addiction 92 (February 1997): 137–149. Foreword by Senator Edward Kennedy.
* Hughes, Harold E., with Dick Schneider. The Man From Ida Grove: A Senator's Personal Story . Lincoln, VA: Chosen Books, 1979.
* Larew, James C. "A Party Reborn: Harold Hughes and the Iowa Democrats." Palimpsest 59 (September/October 1978): 148–61.
* Smith, Thomas S. "The Vietnam Era in Iowa Politics." Palimpsest 63 (September/October 1982): 138–41.

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{{s-aft|after=[[Paul Franzenburg]]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Democratic Governors Association]]|years=1966–1968}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of United States senators from Iowa|U.S. Senator]] from [[Iowa]]<br>([[Classes of United States senators|Class 3]])|years=[[1968 United States Senate election in Iowa|1968]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Culver]]}}
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{{s-off}}
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{{s-par|us-sen}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States senators from Iowa|U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Iowa]]|years=1969–1975|alongside=[[Jack Miller (politician)|Jack Miller]], [[Dick Clark (Iowa politician)|Dick Clark]]}}
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{{s-end}}

{{USSenIA}}
{{Governors of Iowa}}
{{Pacem in Terris Award laureates}}
{{The Fellowship}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=91st–93rd [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[United States congressional delegations from Iowa|Iowa]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Harold}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Iowa politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:American Christian pacifists]]
[[Category:American United Methodists]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1972 United States presidential election]]
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Iowa]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Iowa]]
[[Category:Governors of Iowa]]
[[Category:Iowa Republicans]]
[[Category:Methodist pacifists]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Iowa]]
[[Category:People from Ida County, Iowa]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:University of Iowa alumni]]