Vice President Walter F. Mondale, Friend of Landmark Center

Minnesota Landmarks pays tribute to Vice President Walter F. Mondale, who, up until his recent death, was a friend to Landmark Center, historic preservation, and a fervent supporter of our public service mission to make Landmark Center a community gathering place for all. We say goodbye to an incomparable statesman, community leader, and public servant whose active involvement with Landmark Center inspired each of us to be our best – for the people we serve.

In 2010, Vice President Mondale was the keynote speaker at Landmark Center’s Legacy Luncheon, which celebrated collaboration and volunteerism in service to the community. In his remarks, he recalled his words from his speech at the reopening celebration of 1978 (depicted in the photo below):

“Merely to restore a place of physical beauty, a place so rich in history, would in itself be a commendable undertaking. But to make it a center of education and culture for the whole community is a stroke of genius. It will be a symbol of this great community. And it will be a model for the rest of the nation of what we can do to preserve the best of our past in a way which enhances our future.”

Image: Ribbon cutting for the reopening of Landmark Center in 1978 after restoration.