Dole Institute to host former Kansas politicians at 2018 Association of Centers for the Study of Congress conference


LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas will host the annual meeting of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC) from April 25-27.

The conference will include public sessions with former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker and former Kansas Gov. John Carlin. Both free sessions are open to the public and include an audience question-and-answer session.

“We are honored to host this annual meeting as an ACSC-member institution,” said Dole Institute director Bill Lacy. “The Dole Institute has been proud to serve both our local community and scholars from around the world for nearly 15 years as a place of learning and bipartisan discourse. We are excited to showcase our offerings to our peer institutions and to learn from them in return.”

Carlin’s public program is slated for 1:45 p.m. April 25. In a conversation with Audrey Coleman, Dole Institute assistant director and senior archivist, Carlin will discuss his tenure as archivist of the United States and chair of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission from 1995-2005. In addition to his work as U.S. archivist, Carlin served two terms as governor of Kansas (1979-1987) and four terms in the Kansas House of Representatives. He is currently a visiting professor and executive in residence at Kansas State University.

Kassebaum Baker will be joined in conversation with Senate historian Betty Koed at 1:30 p.m. April 26. The pair will use Koed’s recent oral history interviews with Kassebaum Baker to explore the senator’s storied career and wide-ranging work representing the people of Kansas. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978, she was just the 14th woman to serve in the Senate since 1789 and the only female senator at the time she took office. Kassebaum Baker retired from politics in 1997 but remains an influential role model for women seeking elective office today.

Each ACSC annual meeting is three days of workshops, panel presentations and roundtable discussions that highlight innovative programming initiatives, pioneering research and continuing challenges relating to the preservation of the personal papers of United States senators and representatives. This year’s theme is “New Frontiers in Engagement.”

“ACSC is pleased to be visiting the Dole Institute for our annual meeting this year,” said Jay Wyatt, ACSC president and director of programs and research at the Robert C. Byrd Center at Shepherd University. “Alternating meetings among our member institutions gives ACSC members unique opportunities to learn from their colleagues.”

The conference will include a special pre-conference workshop presented by Museum Hack, made possible through a joint sponsorship by ACSC, the Dole Institute and the Kansas Museums Association. Museum Hack is a New York City-based organization that offers training and consulting for museum professionals on audience development and engagement. To learn more about Museum Hack, visit www.museumhack.com.

ACSC is a national organization of more than 40 congressional study and policy centers, government institutions and academic repositories that facilitate and promote a wide range of programs and research opportunities related to the study of Congress. Member organizations, including the Dirksen Congressional Center, NARA’s Center for Legislative Archives and the Dole Institute of Politics support educators, engage students and inform the public about the rich history of Congress and the centrality of preserving its documentary history. To see the full programming schedule for the annual meeting or learn more about ACSC, please visit www.congresscenters.org.

The 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 District and 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 legacies of former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth 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.

Tue, 04/10/2018

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Makayla Hipke

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Makayla Hipke

Dole Institute of Politics

785-864-1156