Gift to Dole Institute launches Edward F. Reilly Lecture


LAWRENCE – The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas announced this week a gift from Edward F. Reilly Jr., to establish and endow the Edward F. Reilly Lecture. The inaugural lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the institute.

The Edward F. Reilly Lecture will be a public program exploring the role of civil discourse and bipartisanship in contemporary politics. The lecture will take place in two- to three-year intervals.

A KU alumnus, Reilly has lived much of his life in service to his fellow Kansans and Americans. He served 29 years as a legislator in the Kansas House of Representatives and later in the Kansas Senate. Reilly is the former chairman of the U.S. Parole Commission and also served on the National Appeals Board.

“We are grateful for this gift from Ed and looking forward to the launch of the lecture series,” Dole Institute director Bill Lacy said. “Civil discourse and bipartisanship are at the core of the institute’s mission, and we hope these lectures spark new thought and conversation around those ideas, especially in this heated political time.”

The inaugural lecture will feature Rob Robertson of Better Angels, a nonpartisan nonprofit with the mission of healing political divides in the nation through community-based alliances, workshops and constructive debate. Robertson is the regional coordinator for the organization and will share more on its approach to reducing political polarization.

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.

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.

The gift was organized through KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

Wed, 10/03/2018

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Makayla Hipke

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Makayla Hipke

Dole Institute of Politics

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