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H. STUART HUGHES (1916-1999)

H. Stuart Hughes, a leading scholar of European intellectual history and professor emeritus of history at the University of California, San Diego, died October 21 in La Jolla after a long illness. He was 83 years old.

Hughes, a native of New York City, was best known for his trilogy of works on the European intellectual scene in the late 19th century and the 20th century: "Consciousness and Society" (1958), "The Obstructed Path" (1968) and "The Sea Change" (1975). His preeminence in the field of European history was recognized by the American Historical Association in 1997 with its Award for Scholarly Distinction.

Hughes wrote nine other books, including "Contemporary Europe: A History" (1961), which went through five editions, "Prisoners of Hope" (1983) and an autobiography, "Gentleman Rebel" (1990).

Along with his academic achievements, Hughes was active in the political arena and in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.

After earning a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University, Hughes taught at Brown University before enlisting as a private in the U.S. Army in 1941. Within three years, he was chief of the Research and Analysis Branch of the Office of Strategic Services in the Mediterranean Theatre, a post he later held in Germany. In 1946, he left active duty as a lieutenant colonel to serve as chief of the State Department's Division of Research for Europe.

In 1962, while teaching at Harvard, Hughes ran as an independent candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts. From 1967 to 1970, he was sole chairman of SANE: A Citizens' Organization for a Sane World, one of the first political organizations to call for a worldwide nuclear disarmament alliance.

Hughes was named Gurney Professor of History and Political Science at Harvard in 1969. He left Harvard in 1975 to join the History Department at UCSD, where he was named professor emeritus upon his retirement in 1986.

"The recruitment of Stuart Hughes to UCSD gave a tremendous boost to the humanities at our young campus," said UCSD Chancellor Robert C. Dynes. "His intellectual distinction and his grasp of the connection between scholarship and society helped shape our humanities departments as they came of age." 

Said UCSD History Chair Michael Bernstein, "Stuart had strong claim to be the finest intellectual historian of Europe of his generation. He was a scholar of social conscience and conviction who made enduring contributions to the field of history. His vision mobilized legions of political activists, and his remarkable wit and commanding presence inspired his students and his colleagues alike." 

Hughes was the recipient of many academic honors and distinguished appointments, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, two decorations from the Italian government, membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a visiting member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton University, a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and foreign member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the Istituto per la Storia del Risorgimento Italiano in Rome.

Hughes is survived by his wife, Judith M. Hughes, professor of history at UCSD, by three children, Sandra Hughes of Chevy Chase, MD, Kenneth Hughes of Arlington, VA, and David Hughes of Berkeley, CA, and by five grandchildren. Hughes was the grandson of the late Charles Evans Hughes, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.