The Dole Institute of Politics

Phone (785) 864-4900
Email doleinstitute@ku.edu
Website https://doleinstitute.org/

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, a vibrant forum for civil discourse, civic engagement, and idea exchange across the political spectrum, features historical archives, exhibits, and public programs for all ages. Inspired by the public service of native Kansan, veteran, legislator, and statesman Senator Bob Dole and his wife Senator Elizabeth Dole, visitor galleries feature changing exhibits, the Kansas Veterans Virtual Memory Wall, architectural-scale stained glass American flag, and September 11 memorial.

Events from this organizer

Today

  • Featured

    Bolstering Funding and Practices for Resilient Elections: Sustainable Funding and Models of Success at the State and Local Level

    Event Category:
    Virtual Event

    Join the Dole Institute and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate for the launch of the landmark report created through the Bolstering Elections Initiative, “Bolstering Funding and Practices for Resilient Elections: Sustainable Funding and Models of Success at the State and Local Level.” Moderated by former election administrator and senior advisor […]

  • A program graphic for a Fort Leavenworth Series program. A photo of an early computer and young man is in the background. Text reads: Ft. Leavenworth Series; Whiz Kids at War: Data Analysis & America's War in Vietnam; Dr. Martin Clemis; Associate Professor of Military History; U.S. Army Command Staff and General College.
    Featured

    Whiz Kids at War: Data Analysis and America’s War in Vietnam

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    The Vietnam War was not just America’s first televised war, it was the nation’s first computerized war. The conflict’s hybrid character created a fragmented battlespace that was defined by a lack of front lines, the comingling of friendly and enemy forces, and a patchwork of political and military control. Data collection and analysis thus became […]

  • A program graphic for a Fort Leavenworth Series program. A painting of French troops holding muskets is in the background. Text reads: Ft. Leavenworth Series; The Musket Problem: Technology & Military Innovation in the French Army, 1700-1815; Dr. Jonathan Abel; Assistant Professor of Military History; U.S. Army Command Staff and General College.
    Featured

    The Musket Problem: Technology and Military Innovation in the French Army 1700-1815

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    In 1700, the French army adopted the musket with attached socket bayonet, but it took over a century for it to master the new art of war that the technology brought about. Exploring why explains the challenges new technologies present to militaries and illustrates how they adapt to them. Dr. Jonathan Abel is an Associate […]

  • A decorative event card featuring a photo of the Vatican.
    Featured

    Church and State

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    With Catholics assuming prominent roles in Washington, and a new American Pope in place in the Vatican, a look at how Catholic thought is impacting the public debate.     Jerry Seib has been a journalist with The Wall Street Journal for almost 45 years. He served as the Journal’s Executive Washington Editor and wrote […]

  • Featured

    Water for Our Future

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    Join Dole Fellow Karen Willey for a bipartisan conversation with legislative members of the Water Program Task Force. Kansas State Sen. Kenny Titus (R) and State Rep. Lindsay Vaughn (D) are two members of the 16-member panel, which will produce its first report by the end of January 2026. The Water Program Task Force was by […]

  • A program graphic for a Fort Leavenworth Series program. A photo of a WWI-era tank and troops is in the background. Text reads: Ft. Leavenworth Series; Tanks & Trenches: Armored Warfare in WWI; Dr. Sean Faulkner; Professor of Military History; U.S. Army Command Staff and General College.
    Featured

    Tanks and Trenches: Armored Warfare in WWI

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    The tank was one of the most iconic weapons of the 20th century. While it was a dominate weapon on the battlefields of Europe and the Middle East from World War II and beyond, its origins were deeply tied to the realities of the Western Front of the Great War This lecture will examine how the […]

  • Featured

    Why the Armenian Genocide Still Matters

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    Over a century later, the 1915 Armenian Genocide continues to offer us many insights about human rights, competing national interests, and the role of history in identity and narrative-building. Join Dole Institute senior archivist and head of collections Sarah Gard, historian Alice Kelikian, and journalist Michael Bobelian for a conversation inspired by the Dole Institute’s […]

  • Program graphic for a Fort Leavenworth Series program. A photo of African American and white troops sitting on a ship's railing is in the background. Text reads: Ft. Leavenworth Series; Integrating the U.S. Army in the Early 20th Century; Dr. Amanda Nagel; Associate Professor of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
    Featured

    Integrating the U.S. Army in the Early 20th Century

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    The integration of the U.S. Armed Forces signifies one of the many adaptations the U.S. military conducted during the Second World War when it came to combat power and reconstitution. As of early 1945, the U.S. Army fielded integrated units as a result of the attrition on the Western Front, but shortly thereafter returned to […]

  • Decorative image with the U.S. Capitol Building decorated on Inauguration Day in the background.
    Featured

    The Counselors: Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    In this edition of The Counselors, attorneys and Dole Institute Visiting Fellows Ed Duckers and Pedro Irigonegaray will debate whether the Electoral College—the means in which the United States elects a president—should be abolished. They’ll be joined a panel of expert witnesses to debate both sides of the issue. This program will be moderated by Ava […]

  • Program graphic for a Fort Leavenworth Series program with a photo of Bob Dole standing on a stage with President George H.W. Bush. Bush is holding a horseshoe in his hand while speaking at a podium. Text reads: Ft. Leavenworth Series; Desert Storm: High-Tech Wonders, or Ingenuity and Elbow Grease?; Dr. Mark Gerges, Deputy Director of the Department of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
    Featured

    Desert Storm: High-Tech Wonders, or Ingenuity and Elbow Grease?

    Event Category:
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States
    Hybrid Event

    Desert Storm in January-February 1991 is known for its dazzling display of technological brilliance, forecasting a so-called revolution in military affairs that promised the United States a cheap alternative to wars of the past.  The lop-sided victory over Iraqi forces in Kuwait in 1991 seemed to forecast a new American way of war that was […]