Henry Stuart Hughes

Henry Stuart Hughes was an American historian, professor, and activist; he also advocated the application of psychoanalysis (the study of human psychological functioning and behavior) to history. While in California, Hughes was published at a level sufficient to encourage Harvard to recall him, which it did in 1957. During this second stay at Harvard, Hughes became involved with SANE (then the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, now Peace Action). Early in this period, he also engaged in a series of debates with a young Harvard professor of government, Henry Kissinger. In 1962, Hughes filed as an independent candidate for the final two years of the unexpired U.S. Senate term of President John F. Kennedy. Major-party candidates included Democratic Party members Edward M. Kennedy, the President's youngest brother, and Eddie McCormack, nephew of the Speaker of the House, and Republican George C. Lodge. Hughes collected well over the 72,000 signatures then required under Massachusetts law to be placed on the ballot as an independent candidate; the September Democratic primary eliminated McCormick from further contention.