The Dole Lecture
Each spring, the Dole Institute commemorates the date on which Senator Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II with the annual Dole Lecture.
Honoring Dole’s courageous recovery and continuing commitment to serve the nation, the Dole Institute welcomes a guest who embodies the commitments Dole held throughout his career in public service.
Previous Dole Lecture Honorees
Dole Lecture
Bill Kurtis
April 17, 2024
“Before it was history, it was news,” reflects Kansas-raised journalist, network news anchor, producer, and rancher Bill Kurtis.Join acclaimed journalist Bill Kurtis in conversation with Dole Institute Director Audrey Coleman for a lively…
Senators Trent Lott and Tom Daschle
April 26, 2023
The 2023 Dole Lecture will be held at the Institute on April 25 at 7 p.m. This year’s special guest speakers will be Senators Trent Lott and Tom Daschle.Senators Lott and Daschle were longtime colleagues of Senator Bob Dole. Collectively the three…
Walt Riker & Clarkson Hine
April 15, 2022
The 2022 Dole Lecture will be held on April 14 at 7 p.m. Presented each spring, the lecture commemorates the date when Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II. The Dole Lecture honors Senator Dole’s courageous…
Jean-Arthur Régibeau
May 05, 2021
The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that the guest for the 2021 Dole Lecture will be the Ambassador of Belgium to the United States Jean-Arthur Régibeau. This year’s lecture will take place on Wednesday, May 5…
Carly Fiorina
April 14, 2019
The Dole Institute is delighted to welcome Carly Fiorina for the 2019 Dole Lecture. The first woman ever to lead a Fortune 50 company, Fiorina is the former CEO of HP and a best-selling author, and she was a 2016 candidate for president. Guided by…
Ambassador Vlora Çitaku
April 15, 2018
“I was not in a position to choose whether I want[ed] to be an artist or actor or astronaut or mathematician or linguist or lawyer. That’s not an option when you’re not free because you fight for life and death. And that’s how I and that’s…
Robert Kaplan
April 05, 2017
Explore the complex world of U.S. monetary policy and the central banking system in the 2017 Dole Lecture with Robert Kaplan, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Only the second KU alum to deliver the Dole Lecture, Kaplan will…
Martin Frost and Tom Davis
April 17, 2016
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…
Representative Lynn Jenkins
April 26, 2015
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…
The New Democrats and the Return to Power: Al From
May 04, 2014
"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…
Ike's Legacy: Brigadier General Carl Reddel
May 02, 2013
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…
Senator George Mitchell
April 04, 2012
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…
Bob Woodward
May 15, 2011
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…
Sheila Bair
April 19, 2010
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…
Unlimited Partners: Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole
May 03, 2009
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…
An Afternoon with Tom Brokaw
April 10, 2008
Tom Brokaw, Former Anchor of NBC Nightly News and AuthorThe 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…
General Richard B. Myers
May 02, 2007
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…
Tom Daschle
April 10, 2006
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…
One Soldier’s Story: Senator Bob Dole
April 26, 2005
Former U.S. Senator Robert J. Dole visited the Dole Institute for the 2005 Dole Lecture "One Soldier's Story".The Dole Lecture is a public event headlined by a national figure discussing an aspect of current politics or policy.Held each spring, it…
President Bill Clinton
May 21, 2004
Senator Dole, who personally invited Clinton, said he was delighted his Democratic opponent in the 1996 Presidential campaign had agreed to kick-off the new lecture series. "I cannot think of a more appropriate person to inaugurate the Dole Lecture…
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