Born in Wallace, South Dakota, Hubert Humphrey was influenced by the experiences of his family and neighbors in his home state. By the age of twenty-five, he had witnessed hardships from drought, bank failures, farm failures, and other depressed economic situations.

His father was a pharmacist and owner of several different drug stores in South Dakota. One of his drugstores became the first of the widespread Walgreen chain in the United States. In 1927, however, Humphrey's father was forced to sell their home to pay off business debts. The same situation happened in 1932, and Humphrey withdrew from the University of Minnesota to help support his family.

Humphrey enrolled at Capitol College of Pharmacy in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from this intensive program in six months and returned to work for his father. In Humphrey's words, "The drug store was my life and it seemed then it might...