Humphrey was born in Wallace, South Dakota, the son of a small-town druggist. His father was a literary aficionado, classical music enthusiast, strong proponent of religion, egalitarian, and fervent local Democrat who inculcated the values of the [[New Deal Coalition]] into the son. The family shared in the hardships of the [[Dust Bowl|drought]] and [[Great Depression]] of the late 1920s and early 1930s, thus shaping Humphrey's liberal political philosophy. He entered the University of Minnesota in 1929, but withdrew in his sophomore year because of financial hardship and was not able to resume his studies for six years. In 1939 Humphrey graduated, magna cum laude, and in 1940 he received a master's degree in political philosophy at Louisiana State University, where he subsequently taught. He later taught at the University of Minnesota and at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While teaching, he became active in Minnesota politics and helped merge the Democratic party with the far-left "Farmer Labor" party in Minnesota; Humphrey served as state DFL campaign chairman for the Roosevelt-Truman ticket in 1944.
===Mayor===
He ran for mayor of [[Minneapolis ]] in 1943 and lost, but won in 1945, at age 34. He was always an energetic and accessible candidate, going to his constituents rather than waiting for them to come to him. He had already developed the tendency to orate at great lengths. Humphrey was endlessly cheerful, forceful, energetic, witty and concerned with the well-being of his campaign workers. He was fastidious in his personal appearance and preferred neat and clean surroundings even at his campaign headquarters. Humphrey failed in 1943 to gain the support of the far-left-wing leadership of the Minneapolis CIO nor did he receive Teamster leadership backing. Perhaps he would have won if he had not been bluntly honest in informing a gathering of bartenders that he would eradicate vice, gambling, and liquor law abuses once he took office.
Once in office his efficiency and volubility attracted statewide attention. As mayor, he championed the causes of police and city charter reform, adequate housing, and labor-management cooperation. He led the fight against racial discrimination in the city.
He was reelected in 1954 and 1960. Humphrey was an outspoken liberal on any and all issues. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee he was known for his "Food for Peace" and multilateral disarmament proposals, as well as for his sponsorship of farm and welfare measures. Having seen the perverse ability of the Communists to infiltrate organizations like CIO labor unions and farmer Labor groups, he helped drafted and promoted the "Communist Control Act" of 1954 as a civil libertarian measure.<ref>Mary S. McAuliffe, "Liberals and the Communist Control Act of 1954." ''Journal of American History'' 1976 63(2): 351-367. 0021-8723</ref>
Underfunded, he was defeated by [[John F. Kennedy]] for the presidential nomination in 1960. As Senate majority whip in 1961-641961–64, Humphrey proved efficient in organizing support for the passage of major legislation, especially Johnson's liberal [[Great Society]]. He had been one of the most zealous advocates of a strong civil rights bill ever since his successful effort in 1948 to write an unprecedented civil rights plank into the platform of the Democratic Party. To assure passage of the Civil Rights bill in 1964, Humphrey permitted Republicans such as [[Everett Dirksen]] to take credit for the bill by turning active sponsorship over to them. He also actively supported the Peace Corps, urban renewal, federal aid to education, and the nuclear test ban treaty.
==Vice president==
[[File:HHH.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hubert Humphrey booted Fannie Lou Hamer out of the 1964 Democrat convention, seated the all-white Mississippi delegation, and was rewarded with the VP spot.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07PwNVCZCcY Fannie Lou Hamer's Powerful Testimony], American Experience, [[PBS]]. youtube.</ref> In 1968 HHH was nominated despite never appearing on any ballot in any primary.]]:{{See also|United States presidential election, 1964}}In 1964 he was selected by [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] as vice president. His advice was completely ignored by Johnson, 1965-19681965–1968. Privately, he was increasingly dissatisfied with Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War, but told no one. ====1964 Convention: Mississippi Freedom Party====:{{See also|Black history}}The Mississippi Freedom Party was organized by African Americans to challenge the establishment Democratic Party, which allowed participation only by whites. The party ran a slate of delegates with close to 80,000 people casting ballots.<ref>[http://www.crmvet.org/tim/tim63b.htm#1963msballot Freedom Ballot in MS] ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans</ref> The party hoped to replace the Regular Democrats as the official Mississippi delegation at the 1964 [[Democratic National Convention]]. At the convention the party challenged the Regular Democrats' right to be seated, claiming that the Regular Democrats were illegally elected in a segregated process that violated both party regulations and [[federal law]].<ref>[http://www.crmvet.org/disc/mfdp.htm The Mississippi Movement & the MFDP] ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans</ref> The Equal Protection Clause had been on the books for nearly 100 years already. The Democratic Party referred the challenge to the credentials committee,<ref>{{cite book | last = Branch | first = Taylor | title = Pillar of Fire | publisher = Simon & Schuster | date = 1998}}</ref> which televised its proceedings and allowed the nation to see and hear the moving testimony of several delegates and the retaliation inflicted on them by Democrats for attempting to vote.<ref>Carmichael, Stokely, and Charles V. Hamilton. ''Black Power: The Politics of Liberation,'' (New York: Random House, 1967), p. 90.</ref> After that, most observers and pundits thought the credentials committee were ready to unseat the Regular Democrats and seat the Freedom Party delegates in their place. But some Democrats from other states threatened to leave the convention and bolt the party if the Regular Democrats were unseated. President Johnson wanted a united convention and feared losing support. To ensure his victory in November, Johnson maneuvered to prevent the Mississippi Freedom Democrats from replacing the all-white Regular Democrats. Two future Democrat Presidential nominees, Hubert Humphrey and [[Walter Mondale]], denied Blacks [[equal protection]] and made a mockery of the [[civil rights movement]].<ref>https://www.minnpost.com/eric-black-ink/2011/05/sad-story-humphreys-role-1964-democratic-convention/</ref> Johnson held a private meeting with Humphrey, Mondale, Roy Wilkins, [[Andrew Young]], [[United Auto Workers]] President [[Walter Reuther]] and [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] A plan was hatched to offer the Freedom Democrats two non-voting ''At-Large'' seats with observer status, rather than replace the all-white delegation which had been undemocratically and illegally elected.<ref>Mills, Kay, ''This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer,'' (New York: Plume, 1994), p. 5.</ref> Johnson arrogated to himself the right to pick which two, and Johnson chose one white and one black. Johnson dispatched Humphrey and Mondale and ordered them to make sure that “that illiterate woman," Fannie Lou Hamer would never be a delegate. Dr. King protested and was told by Reuther to shut up. The offer was rejected, but Humphrey and Mondale remained powerhouse liberals in the Democratic party for another 20 years.
==1968==
[[Image:Hhh68.jpg|thumb|290px|''Time'' May 3, 1968 suggests HHH has seen better days; the picture is askew (tilted right); the poster is old and worn; the left side of HHH's face is creased or perhaps wounded. The "Happy Warrior" is glum.]]
==Further reading==
* Converse, Philip E.; Miller, Warren E.; Rusk, Jerrold G.; Wolfe, Arthur C. "Continuity and Change in American Politics: Parties and Issues in the 1968 Election." ''American Political Science Review'' 1969 63(4): 1083-11051083–1105, uses advanced statistics.
* Fleming, Dan B., Jr. ''Kennedy vs. Humphrey, West Virginia, 1960: The Pivotal Battle for the Democratic Presidential Nomination.'' (1992). 216 pp.
* Garrettson, Charles Lloyd, ''Hubert H. Humphrey: The Politics of Joy.'' (1993). 372 pp.; emphasizes Humphrey's religiosity
* Mann, Robert. ''The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell and the Struggle for Civil Rights.'' (1996) 609 pp.
* Natoli, Marie D. "The Humphrey Vice Presidency in Retrospect." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 1982 12(4): 603-609603–609. 0360-4918
* Solberg, Carl. ''Hubert Humphrey'' (2003), scholarly biography [https://www.amazon.com/Hubert-Humphrey-Carl-Solberg/dp/0873514734/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233479925&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Thurber, Timothy N. ''The Politics of Equality: Hubert H. Humphrey and the African American Freedom Struggle.'' (1999) 352 pp.