Walter Mondale
Read our tribute to Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick (“Fritz”) Mondale (1928–2021), a native Minnesotan, spent most of his life in public service, at the state, national, and international levels. A Democrat and an influential strategist in Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, he held the offices of Minnesota attorney general (1960–1964), United States Senator from Minnesota (1964–1976), Vice President of the United States (1977–1981), Democratic Party candidate for President (1984), and ambassador to Japan (1993–1996).
Mondale and Hubert Humphrey were close friends. When Mondale arrived in the U.S. Senate, he worked with Humphrey—who was then vice president—on a number of progressive issues such as Medicare, Medicaid, education, and environmental protection.
Walter Mondale was a strong supporter of the Humphrey School, as a member of the dean’s advisory council and as an instructor. He also spearheaded a successful fundraising campaign that raised more than $2 million for student scholarships.
To celebrate their lifetime of contributions to the public good, the Humphrey School christened its central meeting space the Joan and Walter Mondale Commons in April 2018.
The Minnesota Historical Society is home to the Walter F. Mondale Collection, a vast archive of Mondale's papers, documents, artifacts, and photographs. The collection is a rich resource for students, scholars, and the interested public to learn more about the man, his work, and his times.