Transcripts

SPEAKER 1: We have more details this afternoon on the Memorial service for Joan Mondale. It's been set for Saturday at 12:30 PM at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Governor Mark Dayton has postponed his hip surgery in order to attend. Joan Mondale died yesterday at the age of 83, and she's being remembered in Minnesota as a strong champion of local artists and arts organizations, a member of many boards of directors and an artist in her own right.

But during her time in Washington as the wife of a senator and then vice president, Joan Mondale led a national movement to recognize and elevate the contribution of American artists. Her most prominent role was as honorary chairwoman of the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities. I'm honored to be joined on the phone this afternoon by the man who appointed her to that post, former President Jimmy Carter.

President Carter, a pleasure to speak with you. Thanks for joining us.

JIMMY CARTER: Well, it's good to be with you and all the people who listen to Public Radio there in Minnesota. Well, you're speaking about one of our nation's treasures, Joan Mondale, who was I think as fervent and as effective a champion for the arts as anyone I ever have known. I first met her and Fritz when they came down, and I was interviewing six or seven people to be my vice presidential choice.

And I think one of the main reasons we chose to ask Fritz Mondale was because of his wonderful wife Joan. And we never were sorry about the choice.

SPEAKER 1: Vice President Mondale said about his wife that when it came to campaigning, the family had to come first. No matter what politics cost, it should never cost you your family. And they were already in Washington when you and your wife came to Washington. And I'm wondering what you saw in that regard, whether it was campaigning or governing, about how she guarded a family life there in D.C. which can be very hard to do, right?

JIMMY CARTER: Yes. Well, we were so impressed with her and Fritz' relationship. And Rosalynn had campaigned with me when I wanted to run the presidential campaign, but it was obvious to us that what she and Fritz had as a personal love affair and as a commitment to their family was very similar to what Rosalynn and I wanted to maintain while we were in Washington. So we knew that we would not only have the benefit of their political support in my duties at the White House, but also would be a great role model for us as we brought some of our family members to Washington and lived there for four years.

SPEAKER 1: I think history will remember that you and Walter Mondale redefined the role of the vice presidency and expanded it. Do you think that Joan Mondale did the same for the role of a vice presidential or political spouse?

JIMMY CARTER: You know, I never knew of another vice presidential candidate's wife or incumbent's wife who did as much in an active way as did Joan Mondale. And there have been a lot of them, as you know. At least on 22 different times, I put in my diary while I was in the White House, Joan was in the White House with me personally, encouraging me to be more supportive as president of the arts in every way.

Although she was a ceramicist herself, she made pottery, she was more interested in arts, in general, particularly the fine arts. One of my times that she came into the White House, we argued about-- I wanted her to be more inclined toward Broadway plays and motion pictures and things of that kind. But she was kind of had a single-minded commitment, no, I want to concentrate on fine arts because I believe that the movies and so forth get enough attention with the Academy Awards and that sort of things. I want to work on a neglected part of art history, she said, which is the fine arts that is pottery and painting and sculpture and so forth.

SPEAKER 1: What do you think that Joan Mondale's legacy will be?

JIMMY CARTER: I don't believe there's been anybody in whose husband served in the White House either in the first or second position, either president or vice president, who had more to do with the enhancement of and the preservation of honoring famous artists than did Joan Mondale. She not only took that throughout the United States of America, but also to Japan when she and Fritz served as our co-ambassadors there.

SPEAKER 1: President Carter, thank you very much for sharing your memories of Joan Mondale with us. I really appreciate it.

JIMMY CARTER: Well, they're sad now, but very filled with emotion and gratitude for what she meant to us and to the country.

SPEAKER 1: That's former President Jimmy Carter speaking with us from his home in Plains, Georgia today. He told me he and Rosalynn Carter do plan to come to Minnesota for Joan Mondale's memorial service on Saturday.