Born in Wallace, South Dakota, Hubert Horatio Humphrey (1911–1978) called himself a “born optimist” and once said, “Never give up on anybody.”

In a career marked with both triumphs and setbacks, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1949 to 1965 before becoming Vice President to Lyndon Johnson.

He ran for president in 1968 and came close to winning, but his legacy wasn’t built on titles—it was built on joy. He was known as “The Happy Warrior,” a nickname that captured his sunny determination and belief in the American spirit.

“It is not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left,” he once explained.

A lifelong advocate for civil rights, Humphrey championed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and was a powerful voice for justice, education, and public health. His words still resonate with purpose and clarity.

“I have enjoyed my life, its disappointments outweighed by its pleasures. I have loved my country in a way that some people consider sentimental and out of style. I still do. And I remain an optimist, with joy, without apology, about this country and the American experience in democracy.”