Who is Arthur Barnhouse from Welcome to the Monkey House and what is their importance?

Barnhouse is a weary, middle-aged man with incredible mental abilities. With only his mind, he can destroy objects at great distances. In "operation brainstorm," he destroyed a whole fleet of ships, airplanes and tanks at the same time. Barnhouse is a reasonable, peace-loving man. He hopes to use his psychic powers for world betterment. The government has other plans for his powers, though. When General Barker tries to push Barnhouse around, the normally mild-mannered Professor lashes out. He secretly decides to escape the government's clutches. This shows real strength of character.