Some people call him Walter F. Mondale. Others call him Walt.

But to his great nephew, freshman Louie Boyum, he is known as Uncle Fritz.

Mondale was the 42nd vice president under Jimmy Carter. He is famous for his quote, “Where’s the Beef,” which he stated during his campaign for President in 1984 in which he lost to Ronald Reagan.

Boyum said that Mondale was also an ambassador to Japan in the 1990’s and that his mom and Uncle Fritz were invited to Akio Toyoda’s birthday party. Toyoda is the owner and president of Toyota.

In the eyes of Boyum, his relationship with Mondale is something to be proud of.

“He is a great man, and I respect him dearly,” said Boyum.

However, Boyum does not get to spend time with Mondale very often.

“We always get a chance to talk on the phone every now and then,” Boyum said. “I barely get to see him because he lives in Minnesota.”

The last time Boyum reunited with his great uncle him was three years ago at the premiere of the documentary on his life, titled “Fritz,” in Washington D.C.

Boyum’s mother, Lucy Mondale, embraces the connection between her son and her uncle. She says that they make the most of the time they have together.

“When they see each other, I really notice how much they have in common and how much they connect with each other,” Mondale said.

Boyum and Mondale share a love of the show “Monty Python” and the Minnesota Vikings. They also both attend church.

Although Boyum is very proud of his great uncle, he does not plan to follow in his footsteps.

“Politics just isn’t my thing,” Boyum said. “He is one of the two people in our family to enter a political career actually.”

His uncle, Ted Mondale, is also a former Minnesota senator.

Boyum’s mother, Lucy Mondale, shares the same view as her son.

“I hope not, because politics is a very risky business,” said Mondale.  

Boyum hopes to have a great four years at South Lakes and visit his Uncle Fritz more often.

For right now, Boyum is going to focus on school and nothing else, just like his great uncle did with his career in politics.