[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 65 (Thursday, May 12, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 184--RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF THE 
  HONORABLE HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, DISTINGUISHED FORMER SENATOR FROM THE 
STATE OF MINNESOTA AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, UPON 
                   THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. Franken) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 184

       Whereas Hubert H. Humphrey was born in Wallace, South 
     Dakota on May 27, 1911;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey, from his early years, recognized 
     the importance of public service by becoming a registered 
     pharmacist and serving his friends and neighbors in the 
     Humphrey Drug Store in Huron, South Dakota from 1933 to 1937;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey received a Bachelor of Arts degree 
     in political science from the University of Minnesota in 1939 
     and a Masters of Arts degree from Louisiana State University 
     in 1940, subsequently teaching political science at 
     Macalester College from 1943 to 1944 and at Macalester 
     College and the University of Minnesota from 1969 to 1970;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey served in a variety of leadership 
     positions in Minnesota during World War II, dealing with war 
     production, employment, and manpower;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey served as Mayor of Minneapolis from 
     1945 to 1948, and during his tenure as mayor, he drove 
     organized crime from the city and, among other achievements, 
     created the Nation's first municipal equal employment 
     opportunity commission;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey was a driving force behind the 
     creation of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota 
     and was a founding member of Americans for Democratic Action 
     in the aftermath of World War II;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey led forces at the 1948 Democratic 
     National Convention in Philadelphia in support of the 
     minority platform plank on civil rights and equal 
     opportunity, challenging the delegates to ``walk out of the 
     shadow of States' rights into the bright sunshine of human 
     rights,'' resulting in the convention's adoption of the 
     minority plank;
       Whereas in 1948, Hubert Humphrey became the first Democrat 
     from Minnesota elected to the Senate;
       Whereas during his total 23 years of service in the Senate 
     (including service from 1949 to 1964 and service from 1970 to 
     1978), Hubert Humphrey compiled a record of accomplishment 
     virtually unmatched in the 20th century, encompassing, among 
     other issues, civil and human rights, workforce development, 
     labor rights, health care, arms control and disarmament, the 
     Peace Corps, small business assistance, education reform, 
     wilderness preservation, immigration reform, and agriculture;
       Whereas his service as floor leader during the Senate's 
     consideration of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was essential 
     to the eventual passage of the Act in the aftermath of 
     breaking the filibuster against this historic legislation;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey, although a dedicated leader of the 
     Democratic Party, always sought bipartisan support for his 
     legislative goals and routinely shared credit with other 
     Senators for his legislative victories;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey, as Vice President of the United 
     States, loyally served President Lyndon Baines Johnson and 
     successfully carried out a number of domestic and overseas 
     assignments;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey, as the Democratic Party's nominee 
     for President of the United States in 1968, waged one of the 
     most courageous and hard-fought campaigns in the history of 
     the United States, losing to Richard Nixon by less than 1 
     percentage point of the popular vote when he started the 
     campaign some 15 points behind;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey was reelected by the people of 
     Minnesota (in 1970 and 1976) to 2 additional terms in the 
     Senate, thereby continuing his extraordinary record of 
     legislative achievement with passage of such bills as the 
     Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act;
       Whereas Hubert Humphrey, terminally ill with cancer, 
     pursued his active public life with great courage, fortitude, 
     and good humor, and in the memorable words of Vice President 
     Walter F. Mondale at Hubert Humphrey's memorial observance in 
     the rotunda of the United States Capitol, ``Hubert Humphrey 
     taught us how to live and he taught us how to die''; and
       Whereas the life and service of Hubert Humphrey were 
     posthumously honored by Congress with the presentation of the 
     Congressional Gold Medal, and by the President of the United 
     States with the award of the Medal of Freedom: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the life, achievements, and distinguished career 
     of Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey upon the 
     occasion of his 100th birthday;
       (2) recognizes that Hubert H. Humphrey's legislative 
     achievements helped resolve many of this Nation's most 
     polarizing issues, such as civil rights, equal opportunity, 
     and nuclear arms control; and
       (3) acknowledges the importance of a vibrant and responsive 
     public sector, as illustrated by the numerous legislative 
     achievements of Hubert H. Humphrey and his lifetime of 
     service to all people in the United States and to people 
     around the world.

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