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.
Jerry Harrington is a freelance writer and retired public relations consultant.
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
A comprehensive and overdue look at an American political leader who overcame the traumas of poverty, war, and alcoholism. Iowa Governor and Senator Harold Hughes led his state government into a modern era and helped lead the nation out of a war in Vietnam. He touched millions with his crusade against drug and alcohol abuse. Thunder from the Prairie is a noteworthy study of Iowa and national political history. Hughes' story is also a welcome inspiration told at a time when too many leaders inspire too little." - David Yepsen, former Des Moines Register political reporter"Harold Hughes was born in the small western Iowa town of Ida Grove. He won a prized football scholarship to play for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, but soon returned to Ida Grove and, after fighting the Nazis in Europe, built a trucking company and was drawn into politics. After a Methodist minister helped Hughes overcome his drinking, Hughes ascended the Iowa political ladder, winning the governorship and a US Senate seat as a moderate reformer in traditionally Republican Iowa. The story is expertly told in these pages by long-time Iowan Jerry Harrington, who as a boy heard Hughes's deep baritone on Iowa's airwaves. That distant voice inspired Harrington’ls life-long commitment to Iowa's history and politics, which is now paying rich dividends for anyone interested in the story of Iowa and the Midwest more generally." - Jon K. Lauck, coeditor of The Conservative Heartland: A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest "This is the first biography of one of Iowa's most important governors. Harrington's book is engaging and deeply researched. It is a significant contribution to the history of Iowa and the Midwest." - Jeff Bremer, associate professor at Iowa State University and author of A New History of Iowa, 1673-2020 and A Store Almost in Sight: The Economic Transformation of Missouri from the Louisiana Purchase to the Civil War
