Dole Institute to debut exhibition about Bob Dole’s early years in Congress

LAWRENCE – The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas will host a new exhibition, "Voices from the Big First, 1961-1968," which will debut Feb. 11 in the Elizabeth Dole Gallery and Reading Room and remain on display until May 16. In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of afternoon programs on related topics will be livestreamed to the institute’s YouTube channel. Former U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, who worked with Dole in the 1960s, will be a featured guest for one of these programs.

In 1961, Kansas, with the rest of the United States, found itself at a political, social and cultural crossroads. Featuring a selection of constituent letters written to then-congressman Dole from the collections of the Dole Archives, this original exhibition curated by Kansas history scholar Virgil Dean offers a window into the hopes and fears of everyday Kansans as they responded to change at home and conflict abroad.

“The Dole Archives is a trove of historical resources that reflects not just the careers of Bob and Elizabeth Dole, but the ‘face of the nation’ at any given point in the last half of the 20th century,” said Audrey Coleman, associate director and director of museum and archives. “We’ve long been curious to learn more about Congressman Dole’s experience representing western Kansas in the 1960s and are excited to share examples of the issues and conversations of the day.”

Dole represented Kansas’ 6th district – counties in the northwest and north-central parts of the state during his first term. After district consolidation due to population loss, beginning in 1962, he represented the western half of the state: Fifty-eight of 105 Kansas counties, predominately rural, which became known as the “Big First” district. With a few additions, the district – and its moniker – survive today.

A series of afternoon programs livestreamed to the institute’s YouTube channel will explore key facets of this era in the senator’s career in public service and their implications into the present. The first of these, "Congressman Dole’s Kansas," will feature Dean at 3 p.m. Feb. 9 and will seek to answer the question “What was on Kansans’ minds in the 1960s?”

Upcoming monthly programs on topics inspired by the exhibition will include guests Frances Graves, Wildcat District director and community vitality agent, K-State Research and Extension; and Trista Brown, COO Cattle Empire, Satanta; Robert Weems, Willard W. Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History at Wichita State University and specialist in African American business history; and former senator Roberts, who also served as a representative for the Big First district from 1981 to 1997.

To provide more context on Congress and the decade, the Dole Institute will also host "The Great Society Congress" virtual interactive experience in conjunction with "Voices from the Big First." Produced by the Association of Centers for the Studies of Congress, the feature showcases documents from partner repositories across the country.

This exhibition and associated programs examine where Kansas has been and where it’s going to complement the Humanities Kansas initiative Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program. Funding for the exhibition and related programs was provided by Humanities Kansas, a nonprofit cultural organization that connects communities with history, traditions and ideas to strengthen civic life.

The Dole Institute of Politics is home to the Robert & Elizabeth Dole Archives & Special Collections, the official repository for the personal papers of senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole. The Dole Archives chronicles their lives and achievements. More broadly, they provide a window into the inner workings of leadership, government and policy development. As historian emeritus of the U.S. House of Representatives Raymond Smock has said, our country’s congressional collections reflect not just the leadership, but “the face of America at any given time during the latter half of the 20th century.”

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 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 former senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole.

Program details are subject to change. Please see our website for the most current information. More information on all programs, as well as ongoing additions to the schedule, can be found on the Dole Institute’s website.