Dole Institute announces spring 2014 program schedule
LAWRENCE — The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has released the programming schedule for the spring 2014 semester, including the second half of its 10th Anniversary Series and the 2014 Presidential Lecture Series. All events are located at the Dole Institute and are free and open to the public.
“We’re going to be covering a lot of interesting topics this semester. The second part of the 10th Anniversary Series will focus on guests who know Sen. Dole well and a cause that has always been a focus of Sen. Dole’s as well – hunger and nutrition,” said Dole Institute Director, Bill Lacy. “Not to mention kicking off a new series focusing on the intersection of technology and public policy, getting an inside look at the 2012 election with Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, and analyzing the upcoming 2014 midterm elections with Charlie Cook.”
The 10th anniversary series this spring will present Charlie Cook, political analyst; Enid Borden, former Meals on Wheels Association of America president/CEO; author Jim Willbanks, with a book on Medal of Honor winners; and first permanent Dole Institute Director Richard Norton Smith with a special Presidential Lecture Series on First Ladies.
In addition to the anniversary series, the Dole Institute will host Cindy McCain to discuss leadership and civic engagement, authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann to review their book on the 2012 election, and Art of Perception Founder Amy Herman to explore the new role museum collections are serving in the realm of national security training.
The Dole Institute’s lineup of programs for the spring semester:
Fort Leavenworth Series
Decisive Battles: Cowpens, 1781
3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, Dole Institute
There are many famous battles in history that we label as decisive events — Yorktown, Waterloo, Gettysburg and Midway — just to name a few. However, history is replete with lesser-known clashes of arms that were arguably just as significant in their respective wars. Don’t miss the chance to learn about these critical clashes.
Dole Institute 10th Anniversary Series
Presidential Lecture Series
The First Ladies: Intimate Sacrifice, Honored Post
The 10th anniversary celebration wouldn’t be complete without Richard Norton Smith, first director of the Dole Institute and notable presidential historian. He’s back this spring to examine the private lives and the public roles of the First Ladies and how this position has changed since Martha Washington.
The Presidential Lecture Series is sponsored in part by the William T. Kemper II Charitable Trust and Commerce Trust Company and Bob Loyd, co-trustees.
Prisoners of State
4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, Dole Institute
Smith examines the early First Ladies. Many of these distinguished women experienced personal tragedy and paid a heavy price for their husband’s ambition.
Mary & Her Sisters
7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, Dole Institute
The Gilded Age of First Ladies was a fascinating group of women. Mary Todd Lincoln was a polarizing figure in the press, Lucy Hayes became the first First Lady to graduate college, and Frances Cleveland married into the White House. Smith takes a look at their contributions to the nation.
The Wilsons & the Roosevelts
7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, Dole Institute
Eleanor Roosevelt is credited as inventing the modern position of First Lady as we know it, but Edith Wilson certainly paved the way on her own. Why are these two women considered so instrumental in the shaping of this position?
Trailblazers & Traditionalists
7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, Dole Institute
The First Ladies of the recent past, Jackie, Lady Bird, Betty and Nancy, really gave the First Lady title influence and prestige. These women were role models and style icons for the women of America and sought causes to champion in their own right.
Spring 2014 Study Group
The Brave New World of Political Communications: Lessons from the Obama Campaigns with Dole Fellow Mark Sump
4 p.m. Wednesdays, Dole Institute
Feb. 19, 26; March 5, 12, 26; April 2, 9
Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns launched a new era of political communications, taking direct voter contact and mobilization of voters to levels never seen before. These innovative strategies created two historic victories and generated a 60 percent voter turnout rate for the first time in many decades. This spring, Dole Fellow Mark Sump delves into these political communication methods to reveal how they resulted in two Obama victories.
Fort Leavenworth Series
Decisive Battles: Trafalgar, 1805
3 p.m. Thursday, March 6, Dole Institute
Innovations Series: Drones
This year the Dole Institute is launching the Innovations Series, which will focus on the crossroads among science, technology and public policy. The inaugural event in the series is a two-program series on drones. Join us to find out about the technology and many uses of drones – not just military — as well as ethical questions about their deployment.
Part I – Unmanned Drones: Soldiers without Uniforms
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, Dole Institute
Retired Naval Admiral Timothy Beard and Scott Winship, both currently with global security company Northrop Grumman, will discuss the technological development, military history, future capabilities and ethics of drones.
Part II – Branching Out: Exploring New Uses for Drones
7:30 p.m. March, Date TBD, Dole Institute
Drones are often associated with military procedures. But Kurt Barnhart, director for the Applied Aviation Research Center of Kansas State University, and another expert (TBA) will discuss applications of drone use that range from disaster relief to search and rescue, environmental studies and agriculture.
An Evening with Cindy McCain
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, Dole Institute
Though best known publicly as wife of John McCain, U.S. senator and 2008 presidential contender, Cindy McCain is a very successful and strong leader in her own right. Find out about her experiences as chair of Hensley & Company and her extensive work with a number of major charity organizations, as well as some stories from the campaign trail.
Fort Leavenworth Series
Decisive Battles: Vitoria, 1813
3 p.m. Thursday, April 3, Dole Institute
“Double Down: Game Change 2012”
7:30 p.m. April 8, Dole Institute
Authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann discuss the book that bared the secrets of the 2012 campaign and provided a 360-degree account of this hard-fought, momentous election.
10th Anniversary Series
America's Heroes: Medal of Honor Recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan
3 p.m. Thursday, April 10, Dole Institute
James Willbanks, author and director of the Military History department at the Army Command and General Staff College, will discuss Medal of Honor recipients who stood courageous in the face of grave danger and risked, or sacrificed, their own lives for the lives of others. The accounts tell a story of valor and of the diversity of ethnicity and culture that broadens our appreciation for these Americans. Several Medal of Honor recipients appeared at the Dole Institute Dedication, so it's fitting that the originator of the popular Fort Leavenworth Series should review some of these courageous stories.
10th Anniversary Series
Charlie Cook Knows Elections
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, Dole Institute
Editor, publisher and political analyst Charlie Cook is called one of the “best political handicappers in the nation” by The New York Times. Cook will handicap the upcoming midterm elections and share some personal observations about former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole.
10th Anniversary Series
The Hidden Hungry: Ending Senior Hunger with Enid Borden
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, Dole Institute
Bob Dole has fought for better nutrition his entire political and post-political career. Enid Borden has fought that same fight for seniors for more than 20 years. Under Borden’s leadership as president and CEO, the Meals On Wheels Association of America grew from a small trade association to a leading national charity. She is currently the founder, president and CEO of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger. Through research, education and community partnership, NFESH works each day to harness the resources necessary to reverse the escalating number of seniors in the lifecycle of hunger. It is the only national foundation that focuses on both increasing the national understanding of the complexities of senior hunger and on finding innovative and effective solutions to end it.
Fort Leavenworth Series
Decisive Battles: Plattsburgh, 1814
3 p.m. Thursday, May 1, Dole Institute
Archives Visiting Fellow
Innovation in Plain Sight: Transforming Our National Security Landscape with Museum Collections with Amy Herman
7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1, Dole Institute
From the high-stakes, high-profile worlds of law enforcement, medicine and counterterrorism, Amy Herman brings her students – among them professionals serving the NYPD, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Army and the United States Navy SEALS, as well as hospitals, medical schools and trauma centers – to the art museum, where works of art have become the new data. Herman, founder of The Art of Perception, hones her students’ powers of observation in a highly participatory program that trains them to communicate those observations with precision – essential skills for any professional today. Studying art, curing disease, solving crime: Join us for a fascinating glimpse into Herman’s innovative approach. Learn how her work is affecting governmental organizations and agencies throughout the country — and be prepared to re-evaluate your perception on the role of art and research collections within the intelligence community.
For more information on these or any Dole Institute programs, visit Dole Institute or call (785) 864-4900. The Dole Institute of Politics is dedicated to promoting public service, civic engagement and politics. It is located on KU’s west campus next to the Lied Center.