Walter F. Mondale, “Fritz” is a Minnesota Democrat in the tradition of Hubert H. Humphrey and the state’s Farm-Labor Democrats. He was the first elected Vice President of the United States following the resignations of Vice President Agnew and President Nixon, and the subsequent appointments of Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller. 

He was born in Ceylon Minnesota in 1928, the son of a Methodist minister. He attended public schools, and earned money for college washing dishes and waiting tables. He attended McAlester College in St. Paul, and transferred to The University of Minnesota, earning his BA in 1951. He needed money for law school, so he enlisted in the Army and served in Korea. The GI Bill helped pay his expenses and he graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota law school with an L.L.B. He passed the bar and served as a law clerk in the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1956. Later he opened his own private practice in Minneapolis.

Mondale had worked on Hubert Humphrey’s campaign for Mayor of Minneapolis when he was 20 years old, and was the manager of the Humphrey campaign for the US Senate in 1948. In 1960 he managed the reelection campaign of Governor Orville Freeman. The grateful governor appointed him to the office of state attorney general, an office Mondale was elected to later in 1960 and again in 1962. 

In 1964 Senator Hubert Humphrey was elected Vice President of the United States. Some political pundits thought Humphrey’s senate seat would go to former governor Orville Freeman, who was serving as the nations Secretary of Agriculture, but Governor Rolvaag appointed the State’s attorney general, Walter F. Mondale. 

The 1964 November 13th issue of TIME had an article titled, “Who after Hubert?” “Mondale, 36 the states attorney general and the brightest of a stable of bright young men awaiting a shot at bigger things in the party.” 

Not only did he receive praise for his intelligence, TIME also had his picture (a profile of him looking under the hood of his car). Of course Mondale would have received some acknowledgement just because of the fact he was replacing Humphrey in the Senate, but to be called “the brightest” by a major news periodical was a compliment any aspiring young politician would love to have on his/her political resume. 

During his career in the Senate he served on the finance committee, Housing and urban affairs committee, the Banking committee, and was the chairman of the Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity. He supported legislation calling for an increase in the minimum wage, and was the primary sponsor of the “Full opportunity and Social Accountability act of 1967“. His speech in favor of the bill was quoted in the Journal of Accountancy Sept. 27th 1967, “It is my hope, embodied in the legislation that a counsel of social advisors might develop indicators which will allow us to measure the nations social health with comparable accuracy”. As Chairman of the Intelligence Committee’s Domestic Task Force he argued in favor of tighter control over US intelligence operations. 

The election of 1972 gave President Nixon electoral votes in every state except Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. Although Mondale was a liberal Democrat, as was George McGovern, he managed to win reelection. This time he had a portrait picture 2 1/2 inches by 2 inches in the Nov. 13th 1972 issue of Time. “Standing out among the comers is Walter (“Fritz”) Mondale who was reelected with 57% of the votes in a state where Nixon won.” The article also said that he had a record for fairness, but lacked the charisma of the Kennedy’s.

Following Nixon’s win of 49 states, the Nov. 13th 1972 issue of Newsweek had an editorial cartoon by Robert Pryor. It showed caricatures of Democrats George McGovern, Ed Muskie, Ted Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, Henry (Scoop) Jackson, and Walter Mondale putting bandages on a sick, beaten Democratic Donkey. The Nov. 20th issue of Newsweek listed Walter Mondale of Minnesota, and Birch Bayh of Indiana as two possible candidates for the Democrats in 1976. In early 1974 I can remember a Democrat friend of mine in California saying he expected Walter Mondale to someday be the President. For anyone paying attention to the national news, Mondale had name recognition long before anyone ever heard of the peanut farmer/governor from Georgia. 



In early 1976 my brother told me, “They (Attorney friends at his office) say that Jimmy Carter is the kind of man we need, liberal on the issues where we need a liberal, and conservative on the issues where we need a conservative. 



When the Democrats met for their convention in New York City Jimmy Carter had won the nomination running as a man from “outside” of Washington D.C. And with the memory of Agnew and Nixon still on everyone’s mind, Carter decided on Mondale only after being assured that the Minnesota senator had a good record of honesty and financial responsibility. Mondale’s opposition for the Vice Presidency would be Senator Robert “Bob” Dole of Kansas. 

The campaign of 1976 had the first face-to-face candidate debates since John Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960. Gerald Ford’s major flub up was saying, “I don’t think the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union…” Ford explained at a later date what he meant to say, but by the time he did too many Americans had the impression that he was an inept bumbler. The 1976 campaign also gave us the first debates between the vice presidential candidates. Mondale and Dole each defended their party’s platform as was expected, but then Dole made a statement blaming the Democrats for WW2. Mondale quickly and calmly explained that the defense of our nation during the Second World War was a just cause supported by both Democrats and Republicans. It sounded like Dole was opposing our entry in to WW2, and just like Ford Dole probably wishes he had worded his statement differently. I don’t think the Mondale-Dole debates changed anyone’s mind on how to vote, but it did give Mondale a chance to demonstrate his ability to be a spokesman for the Party and possibly a candidate for President eight years in the future. 

When Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale were sworn in the Democrats had majorities in both the House and the Senate. It was a great time to be a Democrat. Unlike his predecessors Mondale didn’t have to regard the Vice Presidency as a political dead end. Vice Presidents Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey may have lost, but they proved that the number two spot was a great place to be when campaigning for the nomination. Another thing to consider was the fact that no incumbent Democratic President since Grover Cleveland in 1888 had ever lost an election. There was no good reason to doubt that Vice President Mondale would definitely be a front-runner after Carter’s two terms ended in 1988. 

Vice President Mondale attended political rallies, state conventions, and made public speeches across the nation promoting President Carter’s foreign policy and its emphasis on human rights. He was also a domestic spokesman for the Strategic Arms Limitation talks, or SALT. Since there was a comfortable Democratic majority Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd of West Virginia kept control over the day-to-day operations of the Senate. 

Mondale took a chance and hoped for a successful Carter Presidency. President Jimmy Carter’s “Outsider” image may have been popular during the campaign, but not when it came to dealing the Congress. As one congressman said, “This isn’t the Georgia state legislature.” Instead of being a Liberal for needed liberal causes, and a Conservative for necessary conservative legislation, Carter managed to offend both Republicans and members of his own party Democrats in Congress were expressing their differences with President Carter, but Walter Mondale decided that he would remain loyal and support his president. 



Inflation was high, production was low, and unemployment was rising. President Carter went on television claiming that we were suffering from a lack of confidence. It came to known as “The malaise speech”. Mondale had advised Carter against such a speech, but the President was desperate and was grabbing at any idea that might possibly save his presidency. 

Low ratings in the polls are on thing, but a much bigger problem occurred on Nov 4th 1979. Islamic extremist, leading student protestors, fought their way in to the US Embassy in Tehran Iran and took the staff and their Marine guards hostage. President Carter decided that it would be best to put aside plans for his next campaign so that he could focus on the more important issue of gaining freedom for the hostages. It would up to Vice President Mondale to be a spokesman for the administration. 

As the 1980 elections neared some Democrats in Congress worried that their seats might be lost with Carter at the head of the ticket. Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts was persuaded to challenge Carter for the nomination. Mondale and Kennedy both saw themselves as leaders of the liberal Democrats, Mondale in the tradition of Hubert Humphrey, and Kennedy in the tradition of his late brothers John and Robert. Mondale had the burden of defending a poor economic record, and Kennedy was burdened with the memory of his car crash that resulted in the death of his young woman passenger. The Democrats met in New York again, and re-nominated President Carter on the first ballot, but concessions were made to the Kennedy delegates, which included a plank on wage and price controls. 

Carter and Mondale believed that the nomination of right wing conservative Ronald Reagan would present them as the “reasonable” mainstream candidates. But 1980 wasn’t 1964, and Ronald Reagan, former two-term governor from California was a much better campaigner and spokesman for conservative causes than was Barry Goldwater. Reagan chose as his running mate CIA director and US emissary to the People’s Republic of China George Bush. 

For the first time since 1888 an incumbent Democrat lost the election. Carter not only lost the presidency, but the Democrats lost their majority in the Senate. Senator McGovern of South Dakota was out, Senator Church of Idaho was out, and so was Indiana’s Senator Birch Bayh. Walter Mondale no longer had the Vice Presidency to use as a stepping-stone to the White House, and now there were less of his liberal constituents in Congress. 

Mondale went back to private law practice joining Winston & Strawn in Washington D.C. He also remained active in Democratic politics by actively supporting local candidates, and social causes that reflected the Democratic agenda. 

In 1984 names of possible nominees for the Democrats appeared in the media: Senator Cranston of California, Senator Glenn of Ohio, Senator Hart of Colorado, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Mondale was expected to be the front-runner, but then there was the New Hampshire primary. Gary hart, George McGovern’s campaign manager in 1972, came in first. Mondale now had to go after the new front-runner. Borrowing from the popular TV commercial for Wendy’s Hamburgers, Mondale asked the Hart Campaign, “Where’s the Beef”. Gary Hart’s lead was short lived, and Mondale had no trouble getting nominated on the first ballot when the Democrats met in San Francisco. For the first time a defeated Vice President was nominated for President. Another first was the nomination of Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro as Mondale’s running mate. 

Soon after Ferraro was nominated a cartoon was drawn showing Mondale getting in to a Ferrari, labeled “Ferraro”, with Mondale saying, “I’m going to get a lot of chicks with this car”. 

Mondale wanted to run as a Democrat who would use government services to improve people’s lives, but before he could do that the deficit would have to be reduced. He committed political suicide by saying, “I Will raise your taxes”. Even if what he said was just being honest, it would have been better for the party if he had waited until after the election. But it didn’t matter what Mondale said or who he was, Reagan was running against Jimmy Carter, again. 

Reagan said, “Voting for my opponent is like going to the used car dealership and asking to buy back the lemon you traded in four year ago.” 

The Democrats hoped that Mondale’s articulate skill in the debates would boost his rating in the polls. Some news reporters thought that Reagan was showing his age and that Mondale was the more dynamic speaker, but that also didn’t matter. His close association with the Carter administration overshadowed any new ideas Mondale had for the future of America. 

When I was watching TV in 2000, I remember a Republican commenting on the value of debates. He said sarcastically, “Mondale was a better debater than Reagan, and that sure helped “President” Mondale”. 

Political image is a hard thing to change, and Reagan cast Mondale in the image of a Jimmy Carter rerun. Mondale would later comment, “Political image is like mixing cement. When it’s wet, you can move it around and shape it, but at some point it hardens and there is almost nothing you can do to reshape it.” 



President Ronald Reagan was re-elected with 59% of the popular vote, and won the electoral votes from every state except Minnesota and the District of Columbia. Losing isn‘t easy, but maybe Mondale was consoled by these words from Speaker of the House “Tip” O’Neil, “Reagan is the most popular figure in the history of the United States”. “No candidate we put up would have been able to beat Reagan this year.” 

Mondale again returned to his private law practice with Winston & Strawn, and in 1987 he became a partner with a law firm that practiced international/corporate law, Dorsey & Whitney LLP. 

In 1993 President Clinton appointed Walter Mondale to be the United Sates ambassador to Japan. In most cases being the ambassador to a friendly, stable, industrial, democratic nation doesn’t get much attention as he does his daily duties of supervising the embassy staff, but in 1994 a 12 year old girl was attacked and raped by two US Marines in Okinawa. According to Foreign Policy in Focus, the attack sparked massive protests, and a demand that the base be removed from the island. Ambassador Mondale, and the Marine commander had to meet with the Japanese, express their deep regret for the attack, and assure them that all was being done to make sure such an attack would never happen again. It was finally agreed that most of the base would be moved to the mainland. 

In 1996 Mondale resigned his post as ambassador and returned to work for Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Mondale has been a member of the board of directors for both United Health Care, CNA financial Corporation, and served on the corporate boards of BlackRock Funds, and Northwest Airlines. Mondale has been on the board of many socially active non-profit organizations such as the Japan Society, University of Minnesota Foundation - Emeritus, Nobel Peace Prize Forum, and Minnesota Public Radio. 

He also served as co-chair with former Kansas Republican Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker on the “independent, bipartisan, Campaign Finance Reform Project. 

Mondale’s alma mater, The University of Minnesota School of Law, decided to honor their distinguished alumni by renaming their new building Walter F. Mondale Hall in March 2002. I read the article on the University of Minnesota’s web page that quoted Mondale’s former classmate, attorney Don Weir, who remembered Mondale as a hard working student who sparked heated political debates. Weir is a Republican and admits that he and Mondale differ when it comes to politics, but he had this to say about his old classmate. “He and I were different politically, but I never questioned Mondale’s integrity, then or now. Never was there a whit of scandal, or anything ever adverse with Mondale’s name. To this day he has been like that.” Mondale is also a Distinguished University Fellow in Law and Public Affairs at the Hubert H. Humphrey Insitute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. 

At age 74 Mondale had no plans to reenter politics as an active candidate in 2002, then on October 28th a plane crash killed Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone. With the election only days away the news media started naming possible candidates to replace Senator Wellstone on the ballot. Wellstone’s son David decided that Mondale would be the best man to run in his father place. 

Before the campaign began a memorial was held in Minnesota to honor Senator Wellstone. It was suppose to be a bipartisan event in which members of both parties would pay their respects, and express their deepest regrets. Instead over zealous opinionated hacks, claiming to represent the Democrats, booed Senate Majority leader Trent Lott of Mississippi, and Minnesota’s Governor Jesse Ventura. If they thought they were helping Mondale, they weren’t. It was shameful behavior and did nothing but hurt the image of the Democratic Party. 

When the election was over Republican Norm Cohen, mayor of St. Paul, and a Democrat until 1996, would be Minnesota’s’ new senator. Would Mondale have won if there had been more time to campaign? Did the voters prefer the younger candidate? Or were Minnesota politics changing in favor of Republican candidates? Mondale didn’t blame anyone or anything. He accepted responsibility for the unsuccessful campaign, and congratulated Norm Cohen on his victory. 

Walter Mondale is still affiliated with Dorsey & Whitney and can be reached at Mondale.walter@dorseylaw.com. He recently wrote a book, The Accountability of Power: Toward a responsible Presidency. 

In his book The Democratic Dilemma Steven McGillon wrote, “Mondale attempted to create a new Democratic Party by finding a common ground between the parties competing factions.” The civil rights bill of 1964 had split Northern and Southern Democrats, and the war in Vietnam split those Democrats supporting the President’s policies from those who wanted to bring an end to the war. By the early 1970s Minnesota’s senator was well known in the national press, and had managed not to make any enemies with in his own party. Maybe he could have been the one to find a “common ground” between the parties competing factions. But why didn’t he become President? Was it the political conditions set in motion by the events of the times? Was it the misfortunes of President Carter, who may have been no more responsible for high inflation than President Bush is responsible today for falling prices on the stock market? Or did Walter Mondale, a man once described as the Democrat’s “brightest”, and a man highly honored at his Alma mater, lack the charisma to become the President? 

I hope this answers some of question you may have had about Walter Mondale. Would you like to learn more about the obscure Indiana Senator who became Vice President for the first President George Bush?