Calista Cooper Hughes

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Black and white portrait of Cooper Hughes
Calista Cooper Hughes in 1963

Calista Cooper Hughes (April 27, 1914 – July 10, 2004) was an American politician from Nebraska. After working briefly as a teacher following the retirement of her husband, she served as a state senator in the Nebraska Legislature from 1965 to 1969. She lost reelection in 1968, and subsequently served for five years as director of the Nebraska Comprehensive Health Planning Agency. Her election was the first in which two women were elected to the legislature at the same time. Her career has been characterized as supporting progressive policies.

Early life[edit]

Calista Cooper Hughes was born on April 27, 1914, in Humboldt, Nebraska.[1] She attended the University of Nebraska, and after a short trip to Japan following her graduation, she married Morris Hughes.[2] They were stationed in Ethiopia as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War commenced, and in Albania during the Italian invasion of that country.[2] They had three children together: Calista Mary, Judith, and Morris Nelson Hughes.[2] For the next several years, they were stationed in various locations in the United States and internationally.[2] Her brother, John Cooper, was a state senator and ran for governor of Nebraska in 1960.[3]

Career[edit]

Following her husband's retirement in 1961,[4] Cooper Hughes became a schoolteacher in Humboldt.[5] In 1963, she filed to run for the first district in the following year's legislative race.[6] The incumbent senator, Lloyd Stalder, did not run for reelection.[7] After finishing second in the primary, she defeated Floyd W. Pohlman in the general election by 18 votes.[8] In January 1965, her opponent asked the legislature to order a recount of the election,[9] but Cooper Hughes claimed several illegal votes were cast for Pohlman,[10] and the legislature voted (36 in favor, 8 against, led by Senator Terry Carpenter) to seat Cooper Hughes.[11] It was the first time in Nebraska history that two women were elected to the state legislature in the same year; her companion was three-term incumbent Fern Hubbard Orme.[3]

She was named the chair of the committee on public health and welfare in 1967.[12] Her legislative work has been characterized as overall progressive, and she supported legislation to develop and maintain highways, reform healthcare, develop waterworks, and the consolidation of school districts.[13] She supported the political reforms of Governor Norbert Tiemann.[14] In the 1968 election, she lost to Irving F. Wiltse,[15] and she left in 1969.[4]

Following her defeat, Tiemann appointed her as the director of the Nebraska Comprehensive Health Planning Agency; she served for five years.[16]

Elections[edit]

1964 Nebraska Legislature 1st district primary election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Floyd W. Pohlman 1,967 31.53
Nonpartisan Calista Cooper Hughes 1,705 27.33
Nonpartisan Bill Price 1,341 21.50
Nonpartisan Jack McGrath 1,225 19.64
Total votes 6,238 100.0
1964 Nebraska Legislature 1st district general election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Calista Cooper Hughes 7,263 50.06
Nonpartisan Floyd W. Pohlman 7,245 49.94
Total votes 14,508 100
1968 Nebraska Legislature 1st district primary election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Calista Cooper Hughes 3,143 41.27
Nonpartisan Irving F. Wiltse 2,449 32.16
Nonpartisan Jack McGrath 2,023 26.57
Total votes 7,615 100.0
1968 Nebraska Legislature 1st district general election[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Irving F. Wiltse 6,623 59.60
Nonpartisan Calista Cooper Hughes 4,489 40.40
Total votes 11,112 100

Later life and death[edit]

Cooper Hughes retired in 1975 and became an advisor to the National Academy of Sciences.[4] In the year preceding her death, she became ill.[4] She died on July 10, 2004, in Lincoln.[20]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Lincoln Journal Star 2004, p. 3B.
  2. ^ a b c d Pagel 1979, p. 10.
  3. ^ a b Lincoln Evening Journal 1964, p. 13.
  4. ^ a b c d Szalewski 2004, p. 4B.
  5. ^ Pagel 1979, p. 13.
  6. ^ Auburn Press-Tribune 1963, p. 2.
  7. ^ Beatrice Daily Sun 1964a, p. 1.
  8. ^ Beatrice Daily Sun 1964b, p. 1; Lincoln Evening Journal & Nebraska State Journal 1964b, p. 6.
  9. ^ Snodgrass 1965, p. 2A.
  10. ^ Omaha World-Herald 1965a, p. 17.
  11. ^ Omaha World-Herald 1965b, p. 4.
  12. ^ Evening World-Herald 1967, p. 8E.
  13. ^ Walton 2004, p. 1B.
  14. ^ Walton 2004, p. 2B.
  15. ^ a b Alliance Daily Times-Herald 1968, p. 8.
  16. ^ Lincoln Journal Star 1996, p. 6B; Walton 2004, pp. 1B–2B.
  17. ^ Lincoln Evening Journal & Nebraska State Journal 1964a, p. 26.
  18. ^ Lincoln Evening Journal & Nebraska State Journal 1964b, p. 6.
  19. ^ Beatrice Daily Sun 1968, p. 1.
  20. ^ Lincoln Journal Star 2004, p. 3B; Szalewski 2004, p. 4B.

Works cited[edit]

  • Pagel, Al (July 29, 1979). "'I've had a fascinating life'". Omaha World-Herald. pp. 10, 13–14.
  • Snodgrass, Del (January 3, 1965). "Legislature opens 75th session Tuesday; '63 records could fall". Sunday Journal and Star. pp. 1A–2A.
  • Szalewski, Susan (July 12, 2004). "Calista Cooper Hughes served her state, community". Omaha World-Herald. p. 4B.
  • Walton, Don (July 13, 2004). "Cooper Hughes was a progressive voice". Lincoln Journal Star. pp. 1B–2B.
  • "Nixon Nebraska win 321,163 to 170,784". Alliance Daily Times-Herald. Associated Press. November 26, 1968. p. 8.
  • "Humboldt woman files for unicameral". Auburn Press-Tribune. November 5, 1963. p. 2.
  • "Opposition lacking in most primary races". Beatrice Daily Sun. May 8, 1964a. p. 1.
  • "'Trial heat' for unicam a close one". Beatrice Daily Sun. May 13, 1964b. p. 1.
  • "Scherbarth and Waldo to face off". Beatrice Daily Sun. May 15, 1968. p. 1.
  • "Burbach, Marvel keep key legislature posts". Evening World-Herald. January 4, 1967. p. 8E.
  • "New legislative landscape to be minus 4 incumbents". Lincoln Evening Journal. November 4, 1964. p. 13.
  • "20th district outcome depends upon mail vote". Lincoln Evening Journal & Nebraska State Journal. May 14, 1964a.
  • "Official canvass: 592,673 voters on Nov. 3 fifth largest for Nebraska". Lincoln Evening Journal & Nebraska State Journal. November 23, 1964b. p. 6.
  • "Eight honored by arts, sciences alumni". Lincoln Journal Star. May 20, 1996. p. 6B.
  • "Calista Cooper Hughes". Lincoln Journal Star. July 12, 2004. p. 3B.
  • "Mrs. Hughes fights back". Omaha World-Herald. January 5, 1965a. p. 17.
  • "Recount plea loses, 36 to 8". Omaha World-Herald. January 6, 1965b. p. 4.
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