Dole Leadership Prize

Donna Shalala received the 2009 Dole Leadership Prize for her long record of public service, including acting as co-chair of the Commission on Care for Returning Wounded Warriors with former Sen. Bob Dole. Chosen in 2007 by President George W. Bush, Shalala and Dole led a task force to evaluate how injured veterans transition from […]

In 2010, the Dole Institute of Politics awarded the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II with the Dole Leadership Prize for their courage and contributions during the war. About World War II Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) Between 1942 and 1944, at the height of World War II, more than a thousand women […]

Viktor Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine, received the 2011 Dole Leadership Prize. “We are honored to give the Dole Leadership Prize to such a great cultural and revolutionary icon,” said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. “Yushchenko and the Orange Revolution ignited a fire for the people of Ukraine, and his victory was a […]

With the mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they achieve new triumphs. WWP was the recipient of the 2012 Dole Leadership Prize. Wounded Warriors, a WWP advocate/caregiver and WWP’s executive director, Steven Nardizzi, joined us at the Dole Institute for an interview […]

The Dole Institute of Politics was proud to honor Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, as the 2013 Dole Leadership Prize recipient. Mandela's great-grandson, Luvuyo Mandela, accepted the prize on the former president's behalf. The $25,000 prize was awarded to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPkhSlWZi-I

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics honored John D. Kemp, president & CEO of the Viscardi Center, with the 2014 Dole Leadership Prize. The prize was awarded during an interview with Mr. Kemp, who uses his own life with a disability to inspire others to achieve the impossible through knowledge, experience, vision, personality, and […]

President Bill Clinton accepted the 2015 Dole Leadership Prize, presented by the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, for his work balancing the budget and practicing bipartisanship while in office. As president, Clinton led the U.S. to the longest economic expansion in American history and worked with both Republic and Democratic congressional majorities. The Dole […]

Longtime Senate colleagues and friends Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum take the stage at the Dole Institute to discuss Congress when they served, the state of Congress today and contemporary politics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap9LtcT39L0

The Dole Institute is proud to honor U.S. Senator Tom Harkin with the 2017 Dole Leadership Prize. Harkin represented Iowa in the U.S. Congress for more than four decades, including 30 years as a U.S. Senator. As a young senator, Harkin crafted the landmark legislation that would become the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His […]

The Dole Institute of Politics will honor former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III with the 2018 Dole Leadership Prize. Baker served in senior government positions under three U.S. presidents, including as the nation’s 61st secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush. During that time, Baker traveled to 90 foreign countries as […]

The Dole Institute of Politics will honor advocate for autistic persons and Professor of Animal Science Temple Grandin with the 2019 Dole Leadership Prize. “Temple Grandin is a trailblazer,” Dole Institute Director Bill Lacy said. “She not only overcame widespread ignorance about autism and helped lessen the stigma around it, she used the challenges she […]