Dole Institute announces initial spring 2022 programming

LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced its early spring 2022 programming lineup, featuring a variety of notable speakers. This semester’s guests include a former U.S. senator from Kansas, a former chief of staff for the late U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, a historian emeritus of the Senate, and presidential historians and library leaders.

“In honor of his recent passing, this semester will feature programs inspired by the military service and senate leadership of Senator Bob Dole,” said Audrey Coleman, director of the Dole Institute. “We’re excited to gather online and, for the first spring since 2020, in person. We will continue to monitor conditions of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, keeping the safety of our staff and our visitors in mind.”

Evening programs will launch Feb. 10 with the first installment in the virtual Presidential Lecture Series. The theme of this year’s series is “Military Veterans in the Oval Office.” 

The Presidential Lecture Series will consist of four virtual events throughout February and March, featuring former Dole Institute Director Richard Norton Smith as well as leaders from the Truman and Eisenhower presidential libraries.

This semester’s seven-part Discussion Group series will be led by author and political consultant Robert Blaemire. Blaemire served in a variety of roles for former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh (D-Ind.), including acting as Bayh’s political director for his 1980 reelection campaign. Joined by guests with differing political affiliations, Blaemire will host conversations on former Democratic and Republican senators. His guests will include Don Ritchie, historian emeritus of the U.S. Senate; Sheila Burke, former Dole Fellow and chief of staff to Bob Dole; and Nancy Kassebaum, former U.S. senator from Kansas.

The popular Fort Leavenworth series will continue with monthly lectures from faculty from the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth. This year’s theme is “The Periphery of War.”

The fifth annual “A Conversation on Race” series will return in February, with Barbara Ballard, Dole Institute associate director, leading the discussion.

This spring will also feature a new slate of exhibitions and activities in the Institute’s museum galleries, including an encore of the 2020 exhibition “What Would a Woman Offer Her Country? Elizabeth Dole’s Ground-breaking, Trail-blazing Life of Service.”

The institute will resume its in-person annual Easter Egg Roll with Dole. This family-friendly event features an egg rolling race, inspired by the White House Easter Egg Roll held annually on the White House South Lawn.

All programs are free to the public and are livestreamed to the Institute’s YouTube channel. In light of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, programs are subject to change. Additional programs will be announced later this spring. More information on programs, as well as ongoing additions to the schedule, can be found on the Dole Institute website.

Evening Programs ­

Presidential Lecture Series: “Military Veterans in the Oval Office”

Join notable historians and archivists as they discuss the military service of former U.S. presidents and the relationship of that service to their own politics, leadership and policy – both foreign and domestic. How did they – and the Americans they served – value that experience? 

The Presidential Lecture Series is presented in partnership with the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home.

“From Revolution to Roosevelt”

Richard Norton Smith

Thursday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
Virtual event

Richard Norton Smith worked for Bob Dole as a speechwriter and literary collaborator and was the first director of the Dole Institute of Politics. He served as director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Center, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the Gerald R. Ford Museum and Library.

“President Harry S. Truman”
Kurt Graham and Mark Adams 

Thursday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
Virtual event

Kurt Graham has been the director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, Missouri, since 2015. Mark Adams, education director, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, is a history educator with more than 30 years of experience.

“President Dwight D. Eisenhower”
Dawn Hammatt and Jim Ginther

Thursday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Virtual event

Dawn Hammatt is the director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home in Abilene. James Ginther is the supervisory archivist at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene.

“World War II and Beyond”
Richard Norton Smith

Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m.
Virtual event

A Conversation on Race, Part V
Monday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m.

Afternoon Programs

Fall 2021 Discussion Groups Series
“Giants of the Senate”
Robert Blaemire

The fall 2021 discussion group series will discuss former Democratic and Republican senators, their accomplishments and their challenges. Featuring former campaign staffers and notable politicos as his guests, Blaemire will lead conversations about times when Congress worked together and when many bipartisan acts were passed.

The Dole Discussion Groups are made possible by a grant from Newman’s Own Foundation and are presented in partnership with the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University and the Frank Church Institute at Boise State University.

Don Ritchie, historian emeritus of the U.S. Senate
Wednesday, Feb. 16, 4 p.m.

Tom Griscom staff of former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.)
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 4 p.m.

Peter Fenn, staff of former U.S. Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho)
Wednesday, March 2, 4 p.m.

Sheila Burke, staff of former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.)
Wednesday, March 9, 4 p.m.

Luke Albee, staff of U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Wednesday, March 23, 4 p.m. 

Nancy Kassebaum, former U.S. senator (R-Kan.)
Wednesday, March 30, 4 p.m.  

John Shaw, biographer on former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.)
Wednesday, April 6, 4 p.m.

Fort Leavenworth Series
This year’s Fort Leavenworth Series theme is “The Periphery of War.” The first lecture will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 2, and the following events will take place the first Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. at the Dole Institute or may be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

“France and Corsica: The Range of Military Operations”
Jonathan Abel

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 3 p.m.

“Defending New York City in the Early Republic”
Rich Barbuto

Thursday, March 3, 3 p.m.

“Victory at Sea: World War 2 on Film”
John Kuehn

Thursday, April 7, 3 p.m.

“Examining War Crimes in World War 2: A Panel Discussion”
Dave Cotter, Mark Hull, Benjamin Schneider

Thursday, May 5, 3 p.m.

“Hybrid War in the Shenandoah in 1864”
Ethan Rafuse

Thursday, June 2, 3 p.m.

“Bleeding Kansas and British Kaffraria in the 1850s”
Randy Mullis

Thursday, July 7, 3 p.m.

Easter Egg Roll with Dole

Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Come one, come all, for the Dole Institute’s Easter Egg Roll with Dole. Join the institute for a free morning of family fun, including a White House-style egg roll race, egg hunt, games, crafts and more. The event is free and open to the public and will go on rain or shine.

Education and outreach

The Dole Institute offers a variety of educational programming to fit the needs of students, including onsite visits to the Dole Institute, classroom outreach and online access to our digital archives.

Virtual Girl Scout Programs (advance registration required)

Democracy for Brownies

Wednesday, Jan. 26, 5-5:45 p.m.
Thursday, March 3, 5-5:45 p.m.
Wednesday, March 30, 5-5:45 p.m.

Democracy for Juniors

Thursday, Jan. 27, 5-5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 3, 5-5:45 p.m.

Celebrating Community for Brownies

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 5-5:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 5-5:45 p.m.

Democracy for Daisies

Thursday, Feb. 10, 5-5:40 p.m.
Wednesday, March 2, 5-5:40 p.m.
Thursday, March 31, 5-5:40 p.m.

Inside Government for Juniors

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 5-6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 5-6 p.m.

In-Person Girl Scout Programs

Bring Your Own Chair 

Saturday, March 12, 1-2:30 p.m.

All virtual programs above require advance registration and can also be scheduled as in-person events. To learn more about attending the events or to book your own sessions, contact Julie Clover, public education coordinator, at jclover@ku.edu.

Exhibitions

“What Would a Woman Offer Her Country? Elizabeth Dole’s Ground-breaking, Trail-blazing Life of Service”

Opens March 2022

A fresh design features items from Elizabeth Dole’s own historical collections, which she donated to the Dole Institute in 2017. The exhibition chronicles her more than six decades of public service, people-focused leadership and policymaking – all while breaking barriers and blazing trails for other women to follow in her footsteps.

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 in 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 U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole.