Former Vice President Walter Mondale passed away on April 19, 2021. Mondale served as Vice President under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981 and redefined the role of the job during his tenure. He was the first Vice President to have both his own office in the White House and complete access to intelligence briefings. He also took on an active role in the Carter Administration, something that had not been the case for many past Vice Presidents. Mondale also served as Attorney General of Minnesota, Senator from Minnesota, and Ambassador to Japan.

A Democrat from Minnesota, Mondale was known as one of the most liberal senators during his time in the Senate. Mondale was a champion of civil rights as demonstrated by how essential he was in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1968. The Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, banned housing discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. He was also vital in decreasing the number of senators who could filibuster from 67 to 60. Mondale voted in favor of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, banning racial discrimination in the voting process. This contributed to his impressive record of supporting civil rights. 

Mondale was very successful with foreign policy. He helped construct the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and also helped broker the Torrijos-Carter treaty, also known as the Panama Canal treaty. This treaty helped diffuse tensions between the United States and Panama. 

After the Carter-Mondale ticket lost in 1980 to Ronald Reagan and George H.W Bush, Mondale began preparing for a presidential run of his own in 1984. Despite the landslide victory for Reagan, Mondale made history in 1984 by choosing Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. Ferraro became the first female running mate for a major political party in history. 

Tributes poured in from Presidents Obama, Biden, Carter, and Clinton after Mondale’s death. Vice President Harris, Minnesota Senators Klobuchar and Smith, and other leaders also sent out statements honoring Mondale. He will likely be remembered as a great Vice President who took on more responsibilities than any of his predecessors and thus, paved the way for a more active role for his successors.