walter frederick mondale
fourty-second vice-president
biography
Walter Mondale was born on January 5, 1928, in Ceylon Minnesota, studying at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota Law School, privately practicing law from 1956 to 1960. He was appointed in 1960 to fill an unexpired term as Minnesota attorney general, to which he was twice subsequently elected.
At the age of 20, Mondale helped manage the 1948 senatorial campaign of Hubert HUMPHREY, leader of Minnesota's Democratic Farmer-Labor party. He was chosen to fill out the Senate term of Humphrey, who was elected vice-president in 1964. Mondale was elected to the Senate in his own right in 1966 and 1972. He pressed for open-housing legislation and federal urban aid. His initial support of the Vietnam War changed to opposition.
He became known as a liberal humanitarian, concerned with problems of housing, child welfare, aging, and civil rights. He ran briefly for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1974, but withdrew on finding that he "lacked the determination to do what is required to seek the presidency. Nevertheless, he campaigned vigorously after the presidential candidate Jimmy Carter selected him as his running mate.
As vice-president, Mondale was a key advisor to President Carter and personally backed new legislation, such as that providing for oversight of the Central Intelligence Agency. He expanded the office of vice president to a close presidential adviser and troubleshooter. Mondale campaigned vigorously as Carter's running mate in 1980, but Carter and Mondale were defeated for reelection by the Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and George Bush.
Early in 1983, Mondale announced his candidacy for the presidency and, after difficult primary battles, he won the Democratic nomination in July 1984. Campaigning with his running mate, Geraldine Ferraro, he attacked the Reagan record on such issues as the large budget deficit and the need for arms control. In the election he won only 13 electoral votes to Reagan's overwhelming 525. A still highly respected political leader, Mondale became ambassador to Japan in 1993.
