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

  • The Brain of the Carrier Group: The Combat Information Center

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

    This lecture will begin with the genesis of the shipboard combat information center (CIC) in World War II from the Guadalcanal campaign (1942) up through that at Okinawa (1945). From there it will move to a discussion of the development of the CIC on aircraft carriers through the Cold War and its current incarnation as […]

  • Beyond Lend-Lease: The American Military Mission to China, 1941-1945

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    Featured
    The Dole Institute of Politics 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, United States

    China’s War with Japan began in 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident near Beijing.  While diplomatic and economic means were used to support the Chinese for several years, it was not until the 10th of October 1941 that an American military mission to support Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi) was established.  Brigadier General John […]

  • No Sacrifice Too Great: The 1st Infantry Division in World War II

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

    From their landing on Omaha Beach during Operation Overlord to the fierce battles in the Battle of the Bulge, the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division – currently stationed at Fort Riley, KS, and known as the Big Red One – continuously adapted to the evolving battlefield conditions throughout Europe in World War II. As the […]

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

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    Featured
    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.

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

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    Featured
    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.

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

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    Featured
    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.

    Church and State

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    Featured
    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 […]

  • Water for Our Future

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    Featured
    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.

    Tanks and Trenches: Armored Warfare in WWI

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    Featured
    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 […]

  • Why the Armenian Genocide Still Matters

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    Featured
    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 […]