Walter Mondale (1928-2021) (Minneapolis, Ada, Adams: transferring to, university, closing)

[Milo Wolf]

The death of a major political figure, regardless of party, always marks the closing of an American era. Walter Mondale's era was long. I'm a man in my fifties, yet when Mondale became Vice President in 1977 I was a mere eight years old. I don't recall it, though I have vague memories of the 1976 election itself. I remember the elections of 1980, 1984, and 2002 with incrementally increasing detail, of course.

A couple of years ago, my older son was in his senior year at Macalester College, which Mondale initially attended before transferring to the University of Minnesota. One of his professors nominated him for a Joan Adams Mondale Endowed Scholarship (Joan was Walter's wife - he created the scholarship in her memory) without telling him, and he won a very generous grant that significantly reduced the debt he is now paying off. The scholarship is awarded annually to Macalester art students with a focus on ceramics, an art form of particular interest to Joan Mondale. As a result, my son got to meet Walter Mondale for about half an hour over coffee one afternoon in his Minneapolis office. He said that Mondale happily answered his question, and also asked him detailed* questions about his ceramics work.

When I heard this news I texted my son, and told him I hoped he appreciated the honor of having met a man who spent his life 'fighting the good fights'. He told me in no uncertain terms that he did.

[Lodestar]

My dad knew him before he was a politician. Always called him "Fritz."

I remember as a toddler the family being invited to a party for him. Too little to know what was going on. All I saw was the pretty lace table cloth at eye level! I think it might have been his graduation in 1951. That would have put me at three.

So my local townspeople have followed his career all these years and were very proud of him even though many didn't belong to his political party. Back when honor, dignity and intelligence mattered more than party. Most of you don't know about that.

He was always accessible to the locals no matter how high his office. When I think of him the word "Statesman' comes to mind.

[lookingaround12345]

Wow about the same number of people that voted for him commented here.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by lookingaround12345

Wow about the same number of people that voted for him commented here.

Yes. Remember in 1984 during a debate with Reagan, Mondale said his plan for America was to raise our taxes?

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by ram2

Yes. Remember in 1984 during a debate with Reagan, Mondale said his plan for America was to raise our taxes?

But then they did, and he was like, see. Is that the story, I got it from The Common Man on KFAN, so who knows?