Muriel Humphrey Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Muriel Humphrey Brown
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| United States Senator from Minnesota |
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| In office January 25, 1978 – November 7, 1978 |
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| Appointed by | Rudy Perpich |
| Preceded by | Hubert Humphrey |
| Succeeded by | David Durenberger |
| Second Lady of the United States | |
| In role January 20, 1965 – January 20, 1969 |
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| Vice President | Hubert Humphrey |
| Preceded by | Lady Bird Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Judy Agnew |
| First Lady of Minneapolis | |
| In office July 2, 1945 – November 30, 1948 |
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| Mayor | Hubert Humphrey |
| Preceded by | Lucille Kline |
| Succeeded by | Hildur Hoyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Muriel Fay Buck
February 20, 1912 Huron, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | September 20, 1998 (aged 86) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lakewood Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children |
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| Parents | Andrew E. Buck (father) Jessie Mae Pierce (mother) |
| Education | Huron University |
Muriel Fay Humphrey Brown (born Buck; February 20, 1912 – September 20, 1998) was an important American politician. She served as the Second Lady of the United States from 1965 to 1969. This meant her husband, Hubert Humphrey, was the Vice President. Later, she became a U.S. Senator for Minnesota in 1978.
After her husband passed away, she was chosen to take his place in the Senate. She served for most of 1978. This made her the first woman to be a senator from Minnesota. She was also the only Second Lady of the United States to hold a public office. After leaving the Senate, she remarried and became Muriel Humphrey Brown.
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Early Life and Family
Muriel Fay Buck was born on February 20, 1912, in Huron, South Dakota. Her parents were Andrew E. Buck and Jessie Mae Pierce. She went to Huron College. In 1934, she met Hubert Humphrey when she was 22 and working as a bookkeeper.
They got married on September 3, 1936. They often said, "It was love at first waltz." They had four children: Hubert III, Nancy, Robert, and Douglas. The family lived in Waverly, Minnesota, for many years.
Stepping into Politics
Muriel was a quiet but important helper to her husband, Hubert, when he started his political career. Hubert Humphrey first became the mayor of Minneapolis. Then, he served three times as a senator for Minnesota. Muriel started joining him at campaign events during his second Senate campaign.
Hubert Humphrey ran for president in 1960 but lost to John F. Kennedy. During this campaign, Muriel gave speeches for him in Wisconsin. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson chose Hubert as his running mate for Vice President. Muriel often campaigned with her husband. The media wrote good things about her. Their team won the election. Hubert then served as Vice President of the United States from 1965 to 1969.
As Second Lady
As the Second Lady of the United States, Muriel had a very busy schedule. She traveled a lot and was involved in many important causes. She was a member of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities from 1966 to 1969. She also organized many meetings for women in the Democratic Party.
In 1968, her husband ran for president again. Muriel made many public appearances and was praised by President Johnson. Hubert lost the election to Richard M. Nixon. After this, Hubert decided to run for a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota in 1970. He won and returned to the Senate in 1971.
Becoming a Senator
Hubert Humphrey passed away on January 13, 1978. He was 66 years old. Muriel was chosen by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party to fill his empty Senate seat. Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich officially appointed her. She served from January 25, 1978, to November 7, 1978.
Muriel had a lot of experience speaking in public. She was an active senator during her time in office. She supported extending the deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She also worked to create programs that would help people with mental disabilities.
One important issue she cared deeply about was raising awareness for Down syndrome. Her granddaughter, Victoria Solmonson, had Down syndrome. In 1967 and 1968, during her husband's presidential campaign, Muriel visited places that cared for people with Down syndrome. The New York Times newspaper even wrote about her work. In 1970, she gave a speech on this topic that was published in a medical journal. As a senator, she sponsored the Mental Health Advocacy Act of 1978.
After talking with President Jimmy Carter, Muriel decided not to run for the Senate seat again in the special election of 1978. She said, "It was the most challenging thing I've done in my whole life."
Looking back, Muriel Humphrey said, "There's something I've been wanting to say for a long time. I'm a liberal and I'm proud of it. In fact, I was probably a little more liberal than Hubert was. I just wanted to say that."
Later Life and Passing
In 1981, Muriel married Max Brown, a friend from her childhood. She said after her second marriage, "I don't live a life of politics any more. Max and I have so much fun. We have a wonderful companionship that Hubert and I didn't have, couldn't have. We were so busy and it was so official almost all the time." Max Brown passed away in 2004.
Muriel Humphrey Brown passed away on September 20, 1998, at the age of 86. Her husband, Max Brown, and her children were with her. She is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, next to her first husband, Hubert H. Humphrey.
See also
