Muriel Humphrey Brown

Muriel Fay Buck Humphrey Brown (February 20, 1912 — September 20, 1998) was the widow of former Vice President Hubert Humphrey. After her husband died, she was appointed to take his seat in the Senate, so she became the first wife of a Vice President to hold public office. She later remarried and chose the name Muriel Humphrey Brown.

Early life and education
She was born in Huron, South Dakota to Andrew E. Buck and his wife, the former Jessie Mae Pierce. Her birth name is Muriel Fay Buck. She attended Huron College, where she met Humphrey in 1934, while working as a bookkeeper. They got married on September 3, 1936."Hopefuls' Helpmates", Time, 24 November 1958 They had four children: Hubert III, Nancy, Robert, and Douglas.

Politics
Humphrey was appointed as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party by Rudy Perpich, the Governor of Minnesota, to the Senate vacancy caused by her husband's death. She had served from January 25, 1978 to November 7, 1978 in the 95th United States Congress. She was the first spouse of a former Vice President to serve in Congress, as well as the first woman to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate. She was not a candidate for the special election for the remaining term. "It was the most challenging thing I've done in my whole life," she said. Twenty-eight years later, Amy Klobuchar, a fellow Democratic-Farmer-Labor, would become the first woman to be elected to the United States Senate from Minnesota.

References

Category:1912 births
Category:1998 deaths
Category:Politicians from South Dakota
Category:Second ladies and second gentlemen of the United States
Category:United States senators from Minnesota