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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Hubert H. Humphrey
HUBERT H. HUMPHREY
Awarded by
President Jimmy Carter
June 9, 1980
Hubert H. Humphrey awed us with the scope of his knowledge; he inspired us with the depth of his sympathy; he moved us with his passion for social justice; he delighted us with his joyous love of his fellow human beings. He brought honor and enthusiasm to everything he did. He ennobled the political process.
Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey in his office, circa 1948
H ubert Humphrey dominated Minnesota's political landscape in the decades following World War II. His career is a compelling story of promise, ambition, disappointment, compromise, and accomplishment.
Humphrey was born in South Dakota in 1911 and came to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota in 1929.
For 25 years, Humphrey helped define the ideals of liberalism in American politics. As mayor of Minneapolis from 1945 to 1949 he worked to reform city government and combat discrimination.
Humphrey's stirring speech at the Democratic National Party Convention in 1948, and his successful campaign for a strong civil rights plank in the party's platform, made him a national figure. His career in the Senate, from 1949 to 1965 and 1971 to 1978, established him as one of the country's most effective legislators. Working for legislation on fair employment, civil rights, the Peace Corps, arms limitation, organized labor, and American agriculture, he was often able to sway public and congressional opinion.
Humphrey was a skillful and shrewd party politician. From 1944 through 1948 he helped to organize a coalition of Minnesota Democrats and Farmer-Labor Party members to support his initiatives, merging these two parties. While his efforts were successful, some criticized him for being intolerant of the progressive and radical Farmer-Laborites.
In 1960 Hubert Humphrey campaigned for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, but lost to John F. Kennedy. He remained in the Senate and served as Majority Whip.
From 1965 to 1969, he served as vice president for Lyndon Johnson. Humphrey worked for the administration's policies, both domestic and foreign. His support for the Vietnam War cost him many of his liberal backers.
Humphrey ran again for the presidency in 1968. He won the Democratic Party's nomination, but lost the election to Richard Nixon. He returned to the Senate in 1971, was reelected in 1976 and held office until he died of cancer in January 1978.
Hubert Humphrey, Vice President of the United States with President Lyndon Johnson
Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey returns to Minneapolis after delivering his now-famous civil rights speech to the 1948 Democratic national convention in Philadelphia. The speech called for a strong civil rights platform plank and caused the Southern "Dixiecrats" to walk out of the convention. Humphrey later moved on to claim a seat in the Senate and in 1964 was elected vice president to President Lyndon Johnson. He was defeated in a 1968 bid for the presidency by Richard Nixon.
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Medal History
