Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States (1977–1981) under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator from Minnesota (1964–1976). He was the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in the United States presidential election of 1984. At more than 33 years, he has had the longest retirement of any Vice President.Mondale was born in Ceylon, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1951. He then served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War before earning a law degree in 1956. He married Joan Adams in 1955. Working as a lawyer in Minneapolis, Mondale was appointed to the position of attorney general in 1960 by Governor Orville Freeman and was elected to a full term as Attorney General in 1962 with 60% of votes cast. He was appointed to the U. S. Senate by Governor Karl F. Rolvaag upon the resignation of Senator Hubert H. Humphrey consequent to Humphrey's election as Vice President. Mondale was subsequently elected to a full Senate term in 1966 and again in 1972, resigning that post in 1976 as he prepared to succeed to the Vice Presidency in 1977. While in the Senate, he supported consumer protection, fair housing, tax reform, and the desegregation of schools. Importantly, he served as a member of the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities ("Church Committee"). He opposed United States involvement in the Vietnam War.In 1976 Carter, the Democratic presidential nominee, chose Mondale as his vice presidential running mate in the forthcoming election. The Carter/Mondale ticket defeated incumbent president Gerald Ford and his Vice Presidential running mate, Bob Dole. Carter and Mondale's time in office was marred by a worsening economy and, although both were renominated by the Democratic Party, they lost the 1980 election to Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.In 1984, Mondale won the Democratic presidential nomination and campaigned for a nuclear freeze, the Equal Rights Amendment, an increase in taxes, and a reduction of U.S. public debt. Mondale was defeated by President Reagan in one of the biggest landslides in US history, gaining electoral votes from only his home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia.After the election, Mondale joined the Minnesota-based law firm of Dorsey & Whitney and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (1986–93), and was credited with successes in Poland and Hungary. President Bill Clinton appointed Mondale United States Ambassador to Japan in 1993; he retired in 1996. Mondale then returned to working at Dorsey & Whitney and remains active in the Democratic Party.
Wife Joan, named honorary chairperson of the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities by Jimmy Carter, died of an undisclosed illness in Minneapolis, MN. [February 3, 2014].
Made a surprising comeback in 2002, when he ran for the Senate to replace the late Paul Wellstone, who was killed in a plane-crash. However, contrary to earlier polls, he lost to his 20 years younger adversary, Norm Coleman, who earlier in the race had described it "like running against Mt. Rushmore".
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Entered national politics, when in 1964, he took over the Senate seat of vice president Hubert H. Humphrey. Humphrey was Mondale's role-model and, funnily enough, both Humphrey and Mondale were of Norwegian descent and, later, Mondale became vice president, too.
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His paternal grandparents were Norwegian. His maternal grandfather was born in Ontario, Canada, to Scottish parents, and his maternal grandmother, who was born in Pennsylvania, had English ancestry. He was nicknamed "Norwegian wood" by some people during the 1984 Presidential election (a play on his Norwegian ancestry and his appearance).
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In connection with Norway's Centennial Celebration in 2005, Mondale chaired the committee to promote and develop cultural activities between Norway and Norwegian-American organizations.
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The only electorial votes he won in the 1984 presidental election were from his home state of Minnesota.
U.S. Vice President, 20 January 1977 - 20 January 1981.
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U.S. senator from Minnesota, 30 December 1964 - 30 December 1976. Appointed to fill the unexpired term of Hubert H. Humphrey, who resigned after being elected vice president. Like Humphrey, he also resigned from the Senate after he was elected vice president.
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Hubert H Humphrey: The Art of the Possible
2010
TV Movie documentary special thanks - as Vice President Walter Mondale
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Almost President: The Agony of Defeat
2016
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Walter F. Mondale
2015
Documentary
Himself
The Raising of America
2015
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself - Former Vice President & U.S. Senator
Defending Gideon
2013
Documentary short
Himself - Former Attorney General of Minnesota
The Reagan Presidency
2012
TV Series
Himself - Vice President of the United States
Hubert H Humphrey: The Art of the Possible
2010
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Vice President
Iran and the West
2009
TV Series documentary
Himself - Vice-President: USA
Dean and Me: Roadshow of an American Primary
2008
Documentary
Himself
Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story
2008
TV Movie
Himself
IFC News: 2008 Uncut
2008
TV Series
Himself
Al Franken: God Spoke
2006
Documentary
Himself (as Vice President Walter Mondale)
The Green Bus v. the White House
2005
Documentary
Himself
Battleground Minnesota
2005
Documentary short
Breakfast with Frost
2004
TV Series
Himself
ESPN SportsCentury
2002
TV Series documentary
Himself
Do You Believe in Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Howard Stern Show
1990
TV Series
Himself
1984 Presidential Debates
1984
TV Series
Himself
1984 Democratic National Convention
1984
TV Mini-Series
Himself - Democratic Presidential Nominee
Good Morning America
1978-1979
TV Series
Himself
The Barbara Walters Summer Special
1978
TV Series
Himself
The National Tribute to Hubert H. Humphrey
1977
TV Movie
Himself
Meet the Press
1977
TV Series
Himself
1976 Vice Presidential Debate
1976
TV Movie
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
How to Win the US Presidency
2016
Documentary
Himself
Freedom Summer
2014
Documentary
Himself
Debating Our Destiny: Presidential Debate Moments That Shaped History
2012
Video documentary
Himself
Miss Representation
2011
Documentary
Himself
The Fight for the White House
2008
Video documentary
Himself
Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream
2007
Video documentary
Himself
20 to 1
2005
TV Series documentary
Himself
Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey