Hubert H. Humphrey gave his last Memorial Day Address in this park on May 30, 1977, and died at his Waverly home on January 13, 1978. He said, "It's just a small town near a lake in Minnesota, but to me, it's the peace of the world." He served as Vice President from 1965 to 1969, was a presidential candidate in 1968, served as a United States Senator from 1971 to 1978 and from 1949 to 1965, and was Mayor of Minneapolis from 1945 to 1948.