Dole Institute unveils full slate of spring programs
LAWRENCE – The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced additional public programs for the spring 2017 semester.
A group of distinguished KU alumni will headline the semester’s programming, including 2017 Dole Lecture guest Robert Kaplan. Kaplan currently serves as the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and will discuss his distinguished career and the role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. economy.
“Our spring programming is unique and diverse,” said Dole Institute Director Bill Lacy. “Rob Kaplan is a great friend and will give our guests a look inside the Fed and its functions. We look forward to welcoming him back.”
KU alumni Henry “C.J.” Jackson and Johanna Maska will join the Institute as spring 2017 fellows and host a discussion group series examining President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. Jackson, a reporter for POLITICO, and Maska, former White House director of press advance for President Barack Obama, will be joined by veteran political insiders to break down events in the White House as they happen.
March will mark the return of the Innovations Series, co-sponsored by the KU School of Engineering, with an examination of the financial realities of research and development. The biannual Student Advisory Board program in March will focus on dichotomy between free speech and safe spaces on college campuses. The month will close with a film screening and conversation with documentarian and liberal Democrat Joe McGovern, who traveled across the U.S. to interview conservative Americans.
In April, the Institute will welcome author Gene Kopelson for an afternoon book talk on the little-known stories behind Ronald Reagan’s first run for the presidency in 1968. The month will also bring the second Easter Egg Roll with Dole, a free community event featuring games and activities for children and families.
Early May will bring the opening of a special exhibition on Vietnam POW/MIA advocates, featuring a program with 2017 Dole Archives Curatorial Fellow and historian Heath Hardage Lee.
Programming in March, April and May joins the previously announced Presidential Lecture Series events held throughout February as well as the monthly Fort Leavenworth series. Additional programs for the spring semester may be added and announced at a later date.
All events are free, open to the public and located at the Dole Institute unless otherwise noted.
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics is dedicated to promoting political and civic participation as well as civil discourse in a bipartisan, philosophically balanced manner. It is located on KU’s West Campus and also houses the Dole Archive and Special Collections. Through its robust public programming, congressional archive and museum, the Dole Institute strives to celebrate public service and the legacy of U.S. Senator Bob Dole.
More information on all programs, as well as ongoing additions to the schedule, can be found on the Dole Institute’s website, www.doleinstitute.org.
President Trump: The First 100 Days
(Spring Discussion Group series)
March 1, 15, 29; April 5, 19, 26; May 3 – 4 p.m.
Fresh off a dramatic election season, KU alumni Henry “C.J.” Jackson (POLITICO) and Johanna Maska (former White House director of press advance) 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.
The Finances of Innovation
(Innovations Series)
March 8 – 7 p.m.
In the 21st century, government financing plays an ever-increasing role in scientific innovation. Hosted in partnership with the KU School of Engineering, join a fascinating discussion with two experts in federal research and development funding: Jack Cline, KU director of federal relations, and Kei Koizumi, former assistant director for federal research and development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Talking it Out: Freedom of Speech and Safe Spaces on Campus
(Student Advisory Board program)
March 14 or 15, TBD – 7 p.m.
Are free speech and safe spaces doomed to exist in opposition on college campuses? Can universities simultaneously protect free expression while promoting student wellness? Join the Dole Institute’s Student Advisory Board (SAB) for its biannual program, featuring a conversation with guests including Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas.
The Other Side: A Liberal Democrat Explores Conservative America
March 30 – 7 p.m.
Documentary filmmaker Joe McGovern started with a question: Is the source of our political anger with others caused, in part, by a lack of understanding? The result is his film “The Other Side,” documenting his travels across the U.S. and candid interviews with conservative Americans.
Ronald Reagan’s 1968 Dress Rehearsal
April 4 – 3 p.m.
Author Gene Kopelson shares the story of Ronald Reagan’s first quest for the presidency in the late 1960s. Mentored by Dwight D. Eisenhower and opposed politically by Robert Kennedy, Reagan’s first major foray into presidential politics set the tone for his future candidacies — and eventual victory. This program will include a book sale and signing.
2017 Dole Lecture: Robert Kaplan
April 5 – 7 p.m.
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 alumnus to deliver the Dole Lecture, Kaplan will discuss his career as leader of one of the 12 banks in the Federal Reserve System and the role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. economy.
Easter Egg Roll with Dole
April 15 – 10 a.m.
Join the institute for a free morning of family fun at the annual Easter Egg Roll with Dole. This event includes a White House-style egg roll race, egg hunt, snacks, crafts, live bunnies and more. The event is on rain or shine, and all children receive a special goody bag when departing the event. Children of all ages are welcome, though egg roll and hunt activities will be split up between ages 3-12.
Your Story, His Story, the Legacy: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Wives
May 7 – TBD
Open the Institute’s new special exhibition with a discussion with 2017 Dole Archives Curatorial Fellow, historian Heath Hardage Lee, and POW/MIA wives on their leadership efforts during the Vietnam War, from breaking public silence to international diplomacy. The “Your Story, His Story, the Legacy” series focuses on stories of history and leadership from those with connections to Senator Dole’s own life and career.
The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies and Advocates
(Exhibition Opening)
May 7
In the late 1960s, POW/MIA wives, led by Sybil Stockdale, challenged the traditional role of “military wife.” These courageous women organized to form the National League of POW/MIA Families, and worked with Congress and the Nixon administration to demand accounting for their husbands and pursue their safe return after years of imprisonment and torture by the North Vietnamese. Curated by 2017 Dole Archives Curatorial Fellow Heath Hardage Lee, this special exhibition will feature documents, photos, oral histories and memorabilia from the Dole Archives, personal collections of POW/MIA families, and other institutions. Programming made possible by funding from Harlan and Alice Ann Ochs, of Colorado Springs, in honor of Larry Ochs.