About the Presidential Lecture Series

The annual "Presidential Lecture Series" is one of three signature events at the Institute. Each February, the Institute presents a series of lectures that focus exclusively on the U.S. Presidency, present and past, to include presidential campaigns.

Nationally known individuals – office holders, historians, top strategists, award-winning journalists and political operatives – have contributed to the success of this recognized series.

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Presidential Lecture Series 2009

Ten Score: Abraham Lincoln's Legacy

In this bicentennial year of Abraham Lincoln's birth, the Institute invited some of the nation's top Lincoln scholars to share new ideas on why our 16th President remains so vital today. Lectures are free and open to the public. press release

Richard Norton Smith will be the first speaker for the Abe Lincoln Presidential Lecture Series.Sunday, February 8, 2009   4:00 p.m. at the Institute
"Lincoln at 200: The Measure of a President"
RICHARD NORTON SMITH
Historian, author,  former director of  the Dole Institute and
 former director of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL.
| program handout | photo journal | video
                       


Historian Michael Burlingame will discuss his new book on Abraham LincolnTuesday, February 17, 2009   7:30 p.m. at the Institute
“Lincoln: A Life”
MICHAEL BURLINGAME   
Historian, author of new, two-volume biography, “Lincoln: A Life;” professor emeritus, Connecticut College.
Book signing followed lecture.

program handout | photo journal | video
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Historian Ronald White will discuss his new book entitlled A. LincolnTuesday, March 3, 2009    7:30 p.m. at the Institute
“A. Lincoln”
RONALD C. WHITE, JR.
Historian, author of the new biography, “A. Lincoln
Book signing followed lecture. Ron White also appeared at the KU Edwards Campus on March 2, 2009

program handout | photo journal | video
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KU Professor Jennifer Weber will discuss Lincoln's challenging eighteen sixty four re-election campaign.Thursday, March 12, 2009  7:30 p.m. at the Institute
“Lincoln and the Copperheads”
JENNIFER L. WEBER
KU assistant professor of history, with expertise in Civil War politics, society & military. Weber discussed her recognized 2006 book, Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North about antiwar Democrats in the Civil War North”

program handout | photo journal | video
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Lincoln era flag is on display until March 13."LINCOLN FLAG"
on display during lecture series

The 34-star “Lincoln Flag” was on loan from the personal collection of Dennis Dailey, KU professor emeritus of social welfare. Despite the seven southern states preparing to secede, Lincoln would not allow any stars to be removed from the national flag between 1861-63. press release
Dole Archive Exhibit information

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2008 Series

" The American Presidency: Past, Present & Future"

February 26, 2008
Straight from the Trail – Part 1
Straight from the Campaign Trail event photo journalPolitical Journalists Panel
Steve Kraske, Kansas City Star political columnist
Jill Zuckman, Chicago Tribune congressional correspondent
Joel Mathis, RedBlueAmerica.com blue moderator/blogger

photo journal | program handout | video


February 28, 2008
Reagan's Disciple:
George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy
Journalists Lou and Carl Cannon event Lou Cannon, former award-winning Washington Post White House correspondent; foremost Reagan biographer
Carl Cannon, National Journal White House correspondent
The Cannons are co-authors of Reagan’s Disciple: George W. Bush’s Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy.
photo journal | program handout | video

March 6, 2008
Straight from the Trail – Part 2
Political journalists panel photo journalPolitical Journalists Panel
Geoff Earle, New York Post political reporter (Clinton trail)
Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Bureau (Obama trail)
Tom Beaumont, Des Moines Register, chief political reporter
photo journal | program handout | video

Tuesday March 11, 2008
Ike's Final Battle
Ike's final battle event with author Kasey PipesKasey Pipes, political historian, former speech writer for the Bush White House, author of Ike’s Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality

| photo journal | program handout | video

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2007 Series

" Running for President in 2008
.......................with tribute to the late President Ford"

February 8, 2007
Remembering President Gerald R. Ford

Photo journal of Tribute to Gerald Ford event.
Richard Norton Smith, former Dole Institute Director and former Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

Photo Journal | program handout |


February 13, 2007
Blog to the Chief: The Impact of Political Blogs on the '08 Elections

Blogger Panelists:
Jerome Armstrong, mydd.com
Photo journal of Bloggers panel eventErick-Woods Erickson,
redstate.com
Patrick Hynes,
anklebitingpundits.com
Scott Johnson,
powerlineblog.com
Joan "mcjoan" McCarter,
dailykos.com
David D. Perlmutter, moderator
Photo Journal | program handout |


February 21, 2007
America’s Foremost Political Prognosticator

photo journal of Charlie Cook event
Charlie Cook, publisher of The Cook Political Report

Photo Journal | program handout |


February 28, 2007
Winning the Nomination

Photo journal of  Winning the Nomination event.Panelists:
David Yepsen, Des Moines Register
Tom Rath, Republican political strategist
Jonathan Epstein, Democratic political strategist
Photo Journal | program handout |

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2006 Series

"The First Woman President"

February 7, 2006

Carol Mosley Braun event photo journalCarol Moseley-Braun
2004 presidential candidate
former U.S. Senator, U.S. Ambassador,

Photo Journal | program handout



Eleanor Clift, Newsweek and the McLaughlin Group
Photo Journal

Pollsters
Kellyanne Conway
Celinda Lake

Photo Journal

Campaign managers
Mary Beth Cahill, John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign
Tom Daffron, Elizabeth Dole’s 2000 presidential campaign
Photo Journal

Two Governors Plus:
Jeanne Shaheen, fmr. Gov. (R – NH)
Jane Swift, fmr. Gov. (R-MA)
Barbara Lee, political activist
Photo Journal

2005 Series

The Reagan Presidency

Lou Cannon, Reagan biographer

Jack Matlock, former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union

Fmr. White House Advance Men
Jim Hooley, Andrew Littlefair, Gary Foster

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2004 Series

Lincoln Week - February 8 - 12, 2004

Douglas Wilson - director of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill.; author of "Honor's Voice," detailing Lincoln's life before entering the White House.

Allen Guelzo - Grace F. Kea professor of American history, Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa.; wrote biography, "Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President."

Phil Paludan - the Naomi B. Lynn distinguished chair of Lincoln studies, University of Illinois at Springfield, wrote "Victims: A True Story of the Civil War," "A People's Contest: The Union and Civil War" and "The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln," He taught for many years in the history department at KU.

Jean Baker - professor of history at Goucher College in Baltimore; leading authority on Mary Todd Lincoln and is author of "Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography."

James McPherson - George Henry Davis '86 professor of history at Princeton University . McPherson has written several books about the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and Reconstruction. His 1988 book, "Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era," won the Pultizer Prize.

2003 Series

Presidential Historians/Authors

Nov. 2, 2003
Robert Caro
"Master of the Senate" - Lyndon Johnson

Nov. 9, 2003
A snowstorm prevented the arrival of scheduled speaker
Roy Wilkens.
Richard Norton Smith delivered a lecture.

Nov. 16, 2003
David Gergen
"Witness to Power

2002 Inaugural Series

November 3, 2002
Edmund Morris
The Badger on the Pullman: T.R. Crosses Kansas, May, 1903

November 10, 2002
Michael Beschloss
Presidential Leadership

November 17, 2002
David McCullough
Presidential Decisions in Times of Crisis

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