Dole Institute honors former Sen. Inouye
LAWRENCE — The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas will display a special memorial exhibit for former U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye through Jan. 25. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Inouye, 88, passed away Dec. 17 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after suffering respiratory complications. The exhibit follows the development of Inouye's friendship with former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, from its inception at Percy Jones Army Hospital through their decades-long bipartisan political relationship, as well as recent service recognitions. An online tribute to the senator, featuring photographs and an oral history interview given by Inouye, all from the collections of the Dole Archive, is available here.
"Through their shared experience as World War II veterans overcoming life-changing injuries, Senators Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) inspired one another to lead lives of public service at the national level," said Dole Institute senior archivist Audrey Coleman. "Their remarkable friendship spanned more than 60 years of political and private life. Despite both partisan and philosophical differences, Inouye and Dole found common ground on a whole series of issues."
Following Hawaii's acceptance to statehood in 1959, Inouye served as Hawaii's first congressman. He ran for the Senate in 1962 where he served for nearly nine consecutive terms. He fought for veterans rights and benefits. Recalling Inouye's service to the Senate, Dole remarked that "Senator Inouye was one of the Senate's giants. He believed in civility and compromise when necessary." This reputation earned Inouye seats on the Watergate Committee, the special committee on the Iran-Contra Affair and many other Senate committees.