Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland
2005-09-22 00:00 (America/Chicago)
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Former President of Poland, Leader of Solidarity

Tom Daschle
2006-04-10 00:00
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and Senate minority leader from 1994-2005 (D-South Dakota)
The Dole Lecture is a public event headlined by a national figure discussing an aspect of current politics or policy.
Held each spring, it commemorates April 14, 1945, when Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II. The Dole Lecture honors Dole’s courageous recovery and continuing commitment to serve the nation.

Howard H. Baker, Jr., U.S. Senator (2006 Prize Recipient)
2007-04-22 00:00
Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker received the 2006 Dole Leadership Prize for his leadership in the Senate, as White House Chief of Staff, and as Ambassador.
Senator Baker began his long and distinguished career in public service in 1943 when he joined the United States Navy. After earning his law degree in 1949, he practiced law and ran his father’s successful campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1950. After narrowly losing in a 1964 special election, Baker himself ran for Senate in 1966 and won. He became Tennessee’s first popularly-elected Republican Senator.
A natural leader, Baker was a successful Senator. His accomplishments include:
Serving as Senate Minority Leader from 1977 to 1981,
Serving as Senate Majority Leader from 1981 to 1985, and
Serving as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, also known as the Senate Watergate Committee, where he gained notoriety for asking the question: “What did the President know and when did he know it?”
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Reagan in 1984.
He served in the Senate until 1985 when he decided to not seek a fourth term. In 1987, Baker served as White House Chief of Staff to President Reagan. Following the 1988 election, Baker returned to Tennessee to work in various law firms. In 2001, George W. Bush appointed Baker U.S. Ambassador to Japan, a position he held until 2005.

General Richard B. Myers
2007-05-02 00:00
Former General Richard B. Meyers speaks for the 2007 Dole Lecture, about his personal experience with the War on Terror.
The Dole Lecture is a public event headlined by a national figure discussing an aspect of current politics or policy.
Held each spring, it commemorates April 14, 1945, when Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II. The Dole Lecture honors Dole’s courageous recovery and continuing commitment to serve the nation.

John Lewis, U.S. Congressman and Civil Rights activist
2007-10-21 00:00
Congressman John Lewis received the 2007 Dole Leadership Prize for his courageous leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and his commitment to creating positive change through the political system.Lewis has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls “The Beloved Community” in America. By the time he was 23, Lewis was recognized as one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. During the turbulent era, Lewis led by example:
He participated in the Freedom Rides during the summer of 1961, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South;
From 1963 to 1966, Lewis served as Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a body largely responsible for organizing peaceful student activism in the Movement;
Lewis was instrumental in organizing and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.
He organized the Selma, Ala. March in 1965 with fellow activist Hosea Williams and others to demonstrate a need for equal voting rights. The peaceful 600 protestors were met by violent Alabama State Troopers on the other side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, resulting in a brutal confrontation known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Called “a genuine American hero and moral leader” by Roll Call Magazine, Lewis continued a life of service as Director of the Voter Education Project, which added nearly 4 million minorities to the voter rolls. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter, Lewis directed ACTION, the federal volunteer agency responsible for more than 250,000 volunteers.
Elected to Congress in November 1986, Lewis has served as U.S. Representative of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District ever since. He is Senior Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Party in leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Oversight.

An Afternoon with Tom Brokaw
2008-04-10 00:00
Tom Brokaw, Former Anchor of NBC Nightly News and Author
The Dole Lecture is a public event headlined by a national figure discussing an aspect of current politics or policy.
Held each spring, it commemorates April 14, 1945, when Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II. The Dole Lecture honors Dole’s courageous recovery and continuing commitment to serve the nation.

George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States
2008-11-16 00:00
George H.W. Bush received the 2008 Dole Leadership Prize for his long career in public service.
Continuing a family tradition of public service, Bush enlisted in the Navy on his 18th birthday. As a Navy pilot, Bush flew 58 combat missions during World War II.
After his military service, Bush worked privately in the oil industry in Texas before again turning to public service. He served two terms as a Representative to Congress from Texas. Bush was then appointed to a number of other political positions, including:
Ambassador to the United Nations,
Chairman of the Republican National Committee,
Chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Bush served as Vice President of the United States under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989. In 1988, Bush won the Presidential election and became America’s 41st President.
President Bush’s foreign policy background and military knowledge served him well. Faced with foreign policy challenges in the changing world landscape as the Cold War ended, Bush fought against world oppressors. He authorized troops to enter Panama and oust the corrupt General Manuel Noriega, who was threatening the safety of the canal and Panama’s American residents. He also won international support for Operation Desert Storm, which pushed Iraqi forces led by Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.

Unlimited Partners: Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole
2009-05-03 00:00
Former Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole spoke at the Lied Center for the 2009 Dole Lecture as part of the Dole Institute’s annual Dole Lecture Series.
The Dole Lecture is a public event headlined by a national figure discussing an aspect of current politics or policy.
Held each spring, it commemorates April 14, 1945, when Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II. The Dole Lecture honors Dole’s courageous recovery and continuing commitment to serve the nation.

Donna Shalala, former Health and Human Services Secretary
2009-09-28 00:00
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 active duty to civilian society.
In 1993, Shalala was appointed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) by President Bill Clinton. She served in that post for eight years to become the longest serving HHS Secretary in history.
As HHS Secretary, Shalala directed the welfare reform process, made health insurance available to an estimated 3.3 million children through the approval of all State Children’s Health Insurance Programs, raised child immunization rates to the highest levels in history, and revitalized the National Institutes of Health.
At the end of her tenure as HHS Secretary, The Washington Post described her as “one of the most successful government managers of modern times.”
In June 2008, President Bush presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. That same year, she was honored as one of “25 Great Public Servants” by The Council for Excellence in Government.
At the time that she was awarded the Dole Leadership Prize, Shalala was President of the University of Miami.

Sheila Bair
2010-04-19 00:00
FDIC Chair and KU alumna Sheila Bair discussed her career in public service and her efforts to restore Americans’ faith in the financial system.
Sheila C. Bair has spent most of her life in public service, beginning with her career as a civil rights attorney in what was then the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She then went on to serve in the U.S. Department of Treasury, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Bair was the Research Director and Counsel to then-Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole from 1981 to 1988. Just prior to her current position, Bair was a professor of financial regulatory policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
In 2006, Bair was appointed Chairwomen of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for a five-year term. Despite the current turbulent period in the financial sector, Bair’s innovations have transformed the FDIC with programs that focus on consumer protection and economic inclusion. Bair championed the creation of the Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion which researches small-dollar loan programs.
For her role as Chairwomen, Bair was named the second most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2008. She was also in Time Magazine’s “Time 100” list of the most influential people of 2009. Bair has received countless awards, including the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and Author of the Month. Bair has written two children’s books, Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock (2006) and Isabel’s Car Wash (2008), which teaches children about finances.
Bair holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law.
The event was made possible with the generous support of Mr. & Mrs. Brian C. King of Leawood, Kan.

Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II (WASP)
2010-10-03 00:00
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 left homes and jobs for the opportunity of a lifetime–to become the first in history to fly for the U.S. military. They volunteered as civilian pilots in an experimental Army Air Corp program to see if women could serve as pilots and relieve men for overseas duty. Originally, 25,000 women applied to the program, 1,830 were accepted and 1,074 graduated from training. These women became the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, better known as the WASP. Under the determined leadership of Jacqueline Cochran, Nancy Harkness Love, and General Henry “Hap” Arnold, the WASP succeeded beyond all expectations.
The WASP were originally stationed at the Howard Hughes Municipal Airport, Houston, Texas but were transferred to Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas in 1943. They received seven months of training including Primary, Basic, and Advanced training, the same as male cadets. The WASP were then stationed at 120 Army Air bases across the United States, where they flew 78 different types of aircraft, every aircraft the Army Air Corps flew, including the B-29. However, in 1944, with more than 900 women on duty, the WASP were deactivated due to military budget cuts.
Between 1944 and 1977, WASP, along with other supporters and state representatives worked to have their service be both officially recognized and no longer classified as “civilian”. In 1977, a bill officially declared the WASP as “having served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States for purposes of laws administered by the Veterans Administration.” In 1984, each pilot was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and those who served for more than one year were also given the American Theater Ribbon and American Campaign Medal.
Finally, on July 1st, 2009, President Obama signed the bill that would lead Congress to award WASP the Congressional Gold Medal. WASP received the medal on March 10, 2010, at a ceremony in Washington D.C.

Bob Woodward
2011-05-15 00:00
Bob Woodward, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and associate editor for the Washington Post, was interviewed by Dole Institute of Politics Director Bill Lacy for the 2011 Dole Lecture.
Bob Woodward is regarded as one of America’s preeminent investigative reporters and non-fiction authors. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post. While a young reporter for The Washington Post in 1972, Woodward was teamed up with Carl Bernstein; the two did much, but not all, of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal that led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon. Gene Roberts, former managing editor of The New York Times has called the work of Woodward and Bernstein “maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.”
Woodward has authored or coauthored 16 non-fiction books in the last 36 years. All 16 have been national bestsellers and 12 of them have been #1 national non-fiction bestsellers – more #1 national non-fiction bestsellers than any contemporary author.

Viktor Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine
2011-09-19 00:00
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 landmark for all of postcommunist eastern Europe.”
Yushchenko served as Prime Minister of Ukraine from 1999-2001. During that time, he addressed economic and social problems by lowering inflation, advancing privatization, and challenging corrupt practices. Although he was a popular prime minister, Yushchenko was forced out of office by higher ranking government officials.
Yushchenko responded by forming a broad-based democratic coalition called Our Ukraine, which was victorious in the parliamentary elections in 2002. The newly organized opposition gave him a platform from which to mount a credible challenge to President Leonid Kuchma, who had been accused of overseeing an increasingly corrupt administration.
During his campaign for the presidency in 2004, Yushchenko became seriously ill from dioxin poisoning in an apparent assassination attempt; his face was left permanently disfigured. Mass protests, which became known as the Orange Revolution, followed a runoff round in which Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych had been declared the winner of fraudulent elections. Thousands of Ukrainian citizens, inspired by Yushchenko’s candidacy and their desire for democracy, occupied the center of the capital city for weeks. The Supreme Court invalidated the falsified result and ordered a second runoff to be held in December 2004. Yushchenko was officially confirmed as the winner the following month.
Yushchenko’s victory was proof that a powerful civic movement, committed opposition politicians, and a resolute, rising middle class had come together to stop the ruling elite from rigging an election and stealing Ukraine’s presidency. The Orange Revolution was a groundbreaking milestone in the history of Eastern Europe since the fall of communism and inspired pro-democracy movements all over the world.
The 2011 Dole Leadership Prize was made possible in part through the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Brian C. King of Leawood, Kan.

2012 | Why Presidents Succeed. Why They Fail.
2012-01-29 00:00 - 2012-04-23 00:00
With the 2012 presidential contest already underway, the Dole Institute’s signature series looks at what separates successful presidents from those deemed failures.
Both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon had significant accomplishments during their presidencies that were overshadowed by Vietnam and Watergate respectively. What if these men had been able to avoid these stains? Join us as we look at each man in this light.

Kick Off
1/29/2012
With the 2012 presidential contest already underway, the Dole Institute looks at what separates successful presidents from those deemed failures.
Presidential historian and first Dole Institute permanent director, Richard Norton Smith, will kick off the series with his take on this timely topic. Join Richard as he is interviewed by Dole Institute Director, Bill Lacy, on the leadership traits that create great presidents, and the mistakes that make them weak.
Note: This event was not recorded.

Nixon Presidency
4/19/2012

Former Nixon speechwriters John Andrews, who previously served as President of the Colorado Senate, and Lee Huebner, former professor of communications and journalism at Northwestern University, speak about the Nixon Presidency, and as the question of
“What if there never was a Watergate?” These two speechwriters from the Nixon White House will explore his presidency without this term-ending event.

Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency
4/23/2012

Without Vietnam would the public and historians have seen LBJ differently? Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum director and author, Mark Updegrove, discusses this question and his new book, Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency.

Senator George Mitchell
2012-04-04 00:00
George Mitchell is an exemplary public servant with an impressive political career. Mitchell served with Senator Dole in the Senate and was a founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center. After leaving the Senate, he has continued to serve by seeking peace in Northern Ireland and in the Middle East and by studying the effect of doping in professional sports.
Mitchell most recently served as U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from January 2009 to May 2011. Prior to that, he had a distinguished career in public service. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1980 to complete the unexpired term of Sen. Edmund S. Muskie. He was elected to a full term in the Senate in 1982 in a come-from-behind victory. Mitchell went on to a career in the Senate spanning 15 years. He left the Senate in 1995 as the Senate majority leader, a position he had held since January 1989.
In 2007, Mitchell joined fellow former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Bob Dole, and Tom Daschle to found the Bipartisan Policy Center, a non-profit think tank that works to develop policies suitable for bipartisan support.

Wounded Warrior Project
2012-10-14 00:00
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 discussion and awarding of the prize.
U.S. Army sniper Shane Parsons was prowling for IEDs in Baghdad when he pointed a Humvee down a desolate street to check out something that seemed out of the ordinary in a place marked by oddities of warfare.
What happened next would send him on a challenging six-year journey to the Dole Institute of Politics at The University of Kansas, where he offered a poignant recitation of life from injury into survival aided by the Wounded Warrior Project. The organization’s contributions to Parsons and thousands of other veterans making the adjustment to the civilian world on Sunday earned it the 2012 Dole Leadership Prize.

2013 | In the Beginning: Three Men Who Made America
2013-02-10 00:00 - 2013-02-18 00:00
A fascinating look at the Founding Fathers! Presidential historian and first permanent director of the Dole Institute, Richard Norton Smith, brought our first three presidents to life and helped us understand these men’s important contributions to the start of our nation.

Part One: George Washington
2/10/2013

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington served as a general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolution, and later became the first president of the United States, serving from 1789-1797. Washington’s first term in office was dominated by shaping the role of the president. He appointed the first presidential cabinet, oversaw measures that Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton encouraged for solid financial grounding, and designated a site for the nation’s new capital. Washington’s second term centered on foreign affairs, and he wisely let his preference for neutrality be known. He dealt firmly with the Whiskey Rebellion and sent Chief Justice John Jay to England to negotiate an unpopular peace treaty with the British. He also asserted his distaste for emerging political parties, which were coming to dominate the American system of government. Washington enjoyed three years of retirement at Mt. Vernon before his death on December 14, 1799.

Part Two: John Adams
2/12/2013

John Adams was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1735. A Harvard-educated lawyer, he early became identified with the patriot cause. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate the treaty of peace. In 1788, he returned from the Court of St. James to be elected Vice President under Washington. In 1796, Adams became the second president of the U.S. During his presidency, a war between the French and British was causing political difficulties for the U.S. Adams’ administration focused its diplomatic efforts on France, whose government had suspended commercial relations. Adams sent three commissioners to France, but the French refused to negotiate unless the U.S. agreed to pay what amounted to a bribe. When this became public knowledge, the nation broke out in favor of war. By 1800, Adams had become significantly less popular with the public. He lost his re-election campaign with only a few less electoral votes than Thomas Jefferson. Adams died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence.

Part Three: Thomas Jefferson
2/18/2013

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, inheriting from his father, a planter and surveyor, some 5,000 acres of land, and from his mother, a Randolph, high social standing. He studied at the College of William and Mary, then read law. In 1772, he married Martha Wayles Skelton and took her to live in his partly constructed mountaintop home, Monticello. As the “silent member” of Congress, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. In years following, he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia. Most notably, he wrote a bill establishing religious freedom, enacted in 1786. As a reluctant candidate for President in 1796, Jefferson came within three votes of election. But through a flaw in the Constitution, he became Vice President, although an opponent of President Adams. When Jefferson assumed the Presidency in 1801, the crisis in France had passed. He slashed Army and Navy expenditures, cut the budget, eliminated the tax on whiskey, reduced the national debt by a third, and purchased the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson retired to Monticello, and then died on July 4, 1826.

Ike's Legacy: Brigadier General Carl Reddel
2013-05-02 00:00
Ike is a personal hero of Bob Dole’s, and the Dole Institute was proud to honor President Eisenhower’s life and legacy with the annual Dole Lecture. Are you aware of the effort to honor IKE with a memorial on the national mall? Authorized in 1999 by an act of Congress, the Commission seeks to build a memorial fitting this great American and Kansan. General Reddel will talk about what Eisenhower means to America, as well as the status of building this national icon’s memorial.
Brigadier General Carl Reddel is Executive Director of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
2013-10-27 00:00
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.

2014 | The First Ladies: Intimate Sacrifice, Honored Post
2014-02-16 00:00 - 2014-02-27 00:00
Richard Norton Smith, notable presidential historian, will examine the private lives and the public roles of the First Ladies and how this position has changedsince Martha Washington.
The Presidential Lecture Series is sponsored in part by the William T. Kemper II Charitable Trust and Commerce Trust Company and Bob Loyd, Co-Trustees.

Prisoners of State
2/16/2014

For the first event, Smith examined and discussed the early First Ladies. Many of these distinguished women experienced personal tragedy and paid a heavy price for their husband’s ambition.

Mary and Her Sisters
2/17/2014

The Gilded Age of First Ladies was a fascinating group of women. Mary Todd Lincoln was a polarizing figure in the press, Lucy Hayes became the first First Lady to graduate college, and Frances Cleveland married into the White House. Smith took a look at their contributions to the nation.

The Wilsons & the Roosevelts
2/26/2014

Trailblazers & Traditionalists
2/27/2014

The First Ladies of the recent past: Jackie, Lady Bird, Betty, and Nancy really gave the First Lady title influence and prestige. These women were role models and style icons for the women of America and sought causes to champion in their own right.

The New Democrats and the Return to Power: Al From
2014-05-04 00:00
“Al From is the principal architect for the Clinton presidency and the new Democrat movement, which helped shape the 21st century Democratic Party,” said Dole Institute Director Bill Lacy. “Most of the Dole Lectures have been by or about public figures; this is the first that will honor a person working behind the scenes to change American politics in a major way.”
Al From described his involvement in the effective restoration of the Democratic Party.
From also discussed current U.S. politics, the state of both parties and his book, “The New Democrats and the Return to Power.” This key, behind-the-scenes strategist helped shift domestic political power.

John D. Kemp, president & CEO of The Viscardi Center
2014-12-14 00:00
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 persistence. Hear why Mr. Kemp is widely respected for his many achievements, both in the corporate and non-profit worlds.
The Dole Leadership Prize is awarded annually to an individual or group whose public service leadership inspires others. Mr. Kemp chose to gift the $25,000 award to The Viscardi Center, a network of non-profit organizations that provides services that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities.

2015 | The First Woman President 2.0
2015-02-12 00:00 - 2015-03-04 00:00
With attention turning toward the next presidential race, we look at a question we first addressed nine years ago: Will the U.S. elect its first woman president? What unique challenges must women overcome to rise through the ranks to some of the highest positions in public service, politics, and business or to be President of the United States? Following the historic election of our first African-American President in 2008 we update the Dole Institute’s 2006 series on women in leadership and look at this possibility for 2016.

Part I: An Evening with Kathleen Sebelius
2/12/2015

Former Governor of Kansas and former Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, will be interviewed about her journey in public service from her days in Kansas politics to her presidential appointment in Washington, and the challenges she faced in her two pivotal executive roles.

Part II: The New Paradigm for Women’s Political Success with Adrienne Kimmell
2/17/2015

Executive director of the nonpartisan Barbara Lee Family Foundation, Adrienne Kimmell, joins us to look at how research is helping women candidates utilize advantages unique to their gender to tailor ads, speeches and messaging into successful campaigns. From personal traits, to actions that convey qualification and likeability, to recovery from mistakes, this program will look at what it takes for women to seek and win elective office.

Part III: Women Legislative Leadership with panelists Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Beka Romm & Joan Wagnon
2/24/2015

Dole Institute associate director and State Representative, Barbara Ballard, will moderate this discussion on leadership, time pressures, and what it takes to successfully lead on the local, state, and federal levels. Come hear more about confronting and overcoming hurdles – be they political, personal, or social – from those working in the legislative arena.

Part IV: Women’s Leadership on Campus: Discovering the Leader in You
3/4/2015

With KU faculty panelists Mary Banwart, Ann Cudd & Alice Lieberman. Do you communicate confidence, ambition, and capability? Panelists from Communications Studies, Philosophy, and Social Welfare, along with moderator, Dole Institute associate director Barbara Ballard, will be on hand to discuss your leadership potential. Topics will explore values, tactics, and beliefs – all factors that contribute to becoming the leader you would like to be.

Representative Lynn Jenkins
2015-04-26 00:00
U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, fifth ranking member of the House Majority, will be interviewed on her national leadership position in Congress, what’s happening in Washington, D.C., today, and women’s leadership. An excellent way to conclude a semester largely devoted to women as leaders.

William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States
2015-11-23 00:00
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 Leadership Prize is awarded annually to an individual or group whose public service leadership inspires others.

2016 | They Also Ran: America’s Would-Be Presidents
2016-01-31 00:00 - 2016-04-26 00:00
In the 2016 Presidential Lecture Series, noted presidential historian and former Dole Institute director Richard Norton Smith returns this spring to examine the politicians who were nominated to America’s highest office but never elected. Covering their careers and the reasons behind their losses, this timely four-part series will shed light on the impact of presidential elections on U.S. politics.

Part One: The 19th Century
1/31/2016

In the 1800s, three men ran for President of the United States a combined nine times, but never claimed the prize. Though Henry Clay, James G. Blaine and William Jennings Bryan’s presidential candidacies failed, their historical contributions and careers inspired millions.

Part Two: Governors of New York
2/1/2016

The beginning of the 20th century saw the rise of New York’s influence on United States politics, along with the start of America’s love/hate relationship with the Empire State. Three New York governors in Charles Evans Hughes, Thomas E. Dewey and Al Smith became key leaders across the political spectrum.

Part Three: Influence in Defeat
4/25/2016

Adlai Stevenson and Barry Goldwater were polar opposites in many ways. One was from the left and the other the right, but both possessed devoted followers and had profound influence on their party’s development in the mid-20th century.

Part Four: The Contemporary Midwesterners
4/26/2016

Smith wraps up the series by bringing us to modern times with Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern and Robert Dole, three native Midwesterners who had a historical impact that far exceeded their electoral vote.

Martin Frost and Tom Davis
2016-04-17 00:00
In a high-stakes election year with deep divisions along party lines, bipartisanship often feels like a thing of the past. Former Congressmen Tom Davis (R) and Martin Frost (D) joined us at the Institute to discuss why gridlock is more prominent than ever—and how it can be stopped.
With 40 years of combined service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Davis and Frost are the authors of Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis.

Nancy Kassebaum, U.S. Senator
2016-09-17 00:00
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.

2017 | The U.S. and the Great War: 100 Years Later
2017-02-02 00:00 - 2017-02-23 00:00
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked a joint session of Congress to make the world “safe for democracy.” Four days later, the United States entered World War I, one of the deadliest wars in American history. The 2017 Presidential Lecture Series will welcome expert guest lecturers to dive inside U.S. involvement in the Great War and the ways in which the war effort touched all levels of society.

America’s Road to War
2/2/2017

When war broke out in Europe in 1914, the U.S. stood on the sidelines as President Wilson asked his fellow citizens to remain neutral “in thought as well as in deed.” Michael Neiberg, noted scholar and chair of war studies in the U.S. Army War College, introduces our lecture series, exploring the complex paths of politics, economics and cultural divisions that came together and brought America into the war less than three years later.

A Giant with Feet of Clay: The American Military in the Great War
2/9/2017

The story of how the U.S. Army sought to transform itself over the course of 18 months into a comparable or superior military force to the European armies is grounded in irony. Richard Faulkner, professor with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, lays out how the American Expeditionary Forces played a pivotal role in the brutal campaigns that led to Germany’s defeat on the battlefield.

Americans All: The Homefront in World War I
2/16/2017

In America, World War I brought expanded involvement in global politics, the experience of modern warfare—and equally important domestic changes. Noted scholar from Chapman College Jennifer Keene will discuss the responses of Americans to the introduction of the draft, economic mobilization, the patriotism crusade and its effects and much more.

Boldness and Frailty: Woodrow Wilson’s Fight for the League of Nations
2/23/2017

Acclaimed biographer of Woodrow Wilson and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, John Milton Cooper closes the series by painting a portrait of Wilson and his transformative leadership. Wilson guided the nation through World War I and sought to bring about an international system to ensure lasting peace. He arguably established a new way of thinking about international relations that, 25 years later, ushered in the United Nations.

2017 SPRING | President Trump: The First 100 Days
2017-03-01 00:00 - 2017-05-03 00:00
Dole Fellows Henry “C.J.” Jackson and Johanna Maska
Read more about Dole Fellows >>
Fresh off a dramatic election season, KU alums Henry “C.J.” Jackson and Johanna Maska will examine and interpret the first 100 days of the Trump administration as they happen. Jackson and Maska will welcome a who’s-who of Washington insiders and reporters to explore a complex season in U.S. politics.

A Nation in Transition
3/1/2017

White House and presidential campaign veteran Johanna Maska and veteran political journalist C.J. Jackson will focus on presidential transitions and explore what’s unique about the new Trump White House. The pair will examine how Washington D.C. changes with a new administration, how new presidents build relationships (or don’t), and how they adjust to the trappings of their office. Both KU alums, Maska and Jackson will also discuss their careers and personal transitions as they moved to Washington D.C. in 2009, sharing experiences while balancing professional obligations—and sometimes national security guidance.

The New “Race”
3/15/2017

Former Deputy Social Secretary and State Department official Samantha Tubman traveled at President Barack Obama’s side throughout the 2008 campaign, working on his presidential transition before taking on key roles in the White House and State Department. She joins Dole Fellow C.J. Jackson to discuss the rapid transformation from a campaign to governing. Jackson and Tubman will explore the new “race” to enact policy, the challenges of a presidential transition, and Tubman’s path as a young person engaging with politics to the White House and beyond.

Entering the White House
3/29/2017

With guest Greg Jenkins – Founder, North Bay Strategies; Deputy Assistant to George W. Bush
Two former White House aides—one from each major party—break down what a presidential transition looks like from the inside. As a former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush, Greg Jenkins traveled the world helping to craft and hone a president’s message. Dole fellow Johanna Maska, who held a similar role for President Obama, will lead a discussion on the demands of working in the White House as the beginning of a new administration.

Meet the Press
4/5/2017

NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley, Republican communications strategist Tim Miller and Dole fellow Johanna Maska will look at the relationship between politics, government and the press. They will focus on what’s unique in Trump’s emerging relationship with the press and what challenges any administration’s press corps would face. This discussion will focus on the important role of the media, the obligations of those in political communications and how history is made and recorded.

Inside the Situation Room and the Importance of Presidential Language
4/19/2017

Former White House deputy director of speechwriting and lead National Security Council speechwriter Terry Szuplat joins Dole fellow C.J. Jackson to talk about how presidents form a national security message. Szuplat will discuss what it is like to be in the Situation Room in a crisis and how presidents craft their messages for an international audience. Szuplat will also analyze the Trump administration’s approach to international relations and talk about the issues that have already emerged.

At Home and Abroad: the Global Presidency
4/26/2017

Former National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden joins Dole fellow C.J. Jackson to discuss how presidents manage an international audience. Hayden, who has worked across national security positions in government, will examine how the Trump administration approaches diplomacy, how the presidential transition affects international relationships and more.

The Loyal Opposition
5/3/2017

The final discussion group of the semester will focus on the party out of power, looking at how the minority party has reacted to big political changes. What tactics do minority parties use to stay relevant, or effect change? How do they develop their relationships with a new president–or how don’t they? How do new presidents work with (or not work with) the opposition party? Former Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement for Hillary Clinton and KU graduate Marlon Marshall joins Dole fellows C.J. Jackson and Johanna Maska to talk about how the “out” party adjusts to a new president and what they do to stay relevant.
