Walter Mondale was vice president of the United States under President Jimmy Carter. Often referred to by his nickname "Fritz," Mondale gained a reputation for his integrity. Even in the volatile world of politics, Mondale was apparently widely well-liked by colleagues of different party affiliations.

Despite the solid opinions of him, his later political career would be less successful. In more recent years, Mondale suffered the loss of his wife, Joan, and daughter, Eleanor. According to CNN, he not long ago sent an e-mail to former members of his staff indicating his health was in steep decline.

Passed away on April 19

Walter Mondale died at his home on April 19, 2021. Early reports about the cause of death have simply stated that it was from "natural causes". Bipartisan statements of mourning quickly came pouring out after Mondale's death was announced.

Among them was former President Jimmy Carter, who'd chosen Mondale to be his vice president. As touched on by Politico, Walter Mondale has been considered to have changed the role of vice president. Carter's previous political offices had solely been based in the State of Georgia. Having very little experience with Washington, D.C., he wanted a vice president who did. It would help him navigate unfamiliar political territory.

U.S. presidents and vice presidents had previously largely been separate and independent of each other after taking office.

Carter and Mondale would have a very different relationship. Including the latter having his own office in the White House. Their working relationship essentially set the template for successors ever since.

Carter won a single term. Thusly meaning Mondale's time as vice president also lasted a single term. Mondale would, however, become the Democratic Party's Presidential nominee in 1984.

His choice for prospective vice president was groundbreaking at the time in New York U.S. Representative Geraldine Ferraro. She was the first woman chosen by a major U.S. party nominee for the Vice Presidency.

But nonetheless, 1984 was a strong election year for Republicans. Including a landslide victory in the Presidential election.

Mondale won Washington, D.C. and his home state of Minnesota. But he failed to win any other state, resulting in an Electoral College vote difference of more than 500.

Later, Mondale took on diplomatic posts in Japan and Indonesia. In 2002, the former vice president was suddenly thrust into electoral politics again. That year, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone died in an airplane crash shortly before Election Day. Seven other passengers, including Wellstone's wife and daughter, also died. Minnesota Democrats selected Mondale to become their new nominee. In the end, he lost to Republican former Saint Paul Mayor Norm Coleman.

Mondale was a U.S. Army veteran

Walter Mondale was a grandson of Norwegian and Canadian immigrants.

His father, Theodore, was a Methodist minister. A brother, Lester, would also become a theologian. During the Korean War, he served in the United States Army. At one point, he was stationed at Fort Knox.

Before going into the military, he was a top staffer for Hubert Humphrey's first U.S. Senate campaign. Later, Mondale clerked for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Thomas F. Gallagher. He also worked on three gubernatorial campaigns for Orville Freeman. The first was unsuccessful, the following two resulted in victories. In 1960, Freeman appointed Mondale as attorney general of Minnesota after Miles Lord stepped down. He won a term in his own right in 1962.

Two years later, Humphrey resigned his Senate seat in preparation of becoming U.S.

vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson. Orville Freeman was by that time also Johnson's secretary of agriculture. The current Minnesota governor at the time, Karl Rolvaag, appointed Mondale to Humphrey's seat. Rolvaag also later joined Johnson's administration as U.S. ambassador to Iceland.

Mondale won two terms to the U.S. Senate after his initial appointment. In 1972, South Dakota U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential nominee George McGovern offered the vice president's spot to Mondale. Mondale turned it down. McGovern would be resoundingly defeated by incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon, similar to what happened to Mondale in 1984.

One of Mondale's sons, Ted, was a Minnesota state senator. Another son, William, was assistant attorney general of Minnesota.