Tom Hayden, famed 1960s anti-war activist, dies at 76

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Tom Hayden, the famed 1960s anti-war activist who moved beyond his notoriety as a Chicago 8 defendant to become a California legislator, author and lecturer, has died. He was 76.

His wife, Barbara Williams, said Hayden died on Sunday in Santa Monica after a long illness.

Hayden made headlines in the 1960s with his radical activism, his marriage to actress Jane Fonda and his trips to North Vietnam during the Vietnam war.

But he changed paths, winning election to the California Assembly and state Senate where he served for nearly two decades. He was the only member of the radical Chicago 8 to achieve such distinction in the mainstream political world.

Hayden remained an enduring voice for progressive causes, including education and the environment. He wrote many books, among them a memoir and a retrospective look at the Chicago 8.