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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2010 Presidential Lecture Series
"Bob Dole:
..50 Years of Leadership & Bipartisanship
"

Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Writing the Life of a Leader

Featuring Dole’s biographer Jake Thompson
Thompson, author of Bob Dole: the Republicans’ Man For All Seasons, provided an inside look at Dole’s lifetime of public service. Thompson first came to know then-Senator Dole as Washington correspondent for the Kansas City Star. Currently, Thompson is Communications Director for Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.). VIDEO

Three former Senate staffers discuss their work with Senator Bob DoleTuesday, February 16, 2010
Legislation that Changed America

A conversation with former Dole staffers

Sheila Burke, Rod DeArment, and Mike Glassner
discussed the Senator’s leadership style and major accomplishments, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Social Security reform, Women and Infant Children nutrition program (WIC), and food stamps. Burke was Chief of Staff to Senator Dole from 1986-1996 and is currently an adjunct lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. DeArment served as a senior advisor to Senator Dole from 1979 to 1986, including time as Chief of Staff. DeArment is currently a partner at Covington & Burling law firm. Glassner served in a number of roles for Senator Dole from 1986 to 2000, beginning as an intern in Dole’s office while attending the University of Kansas, and ultimately earning the title of Senior Advisor. Currently, Glassner is a principal at C&M Transcontinental LLC. VIDEO

Former Senate Historian Richard BakerTuesday, March 2, 2010
The World’s Greatest Deliberative Body?
Featuring former Senate Historian Richard A. Baker
Baker discussed some of the U.S. Senate’s hallmark personalities, achievements and limitations. He will also provide historical perspective on the chamber’s role in the success of the U.S. political system. Baker, who served as Senate Historian from 1975-2009, joins the Dole Institute as the inaugural Dole Archive Visiting Fellow on Monday, March 1 through Wednesday, March 3. VIDEO

Senator Jack DanforthWednesday, March 10, 2010
Conversation with a Colleague
Featuring Senator Jack Danforth
Danforth (R) served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1976 to 1995. Dole’s close political ally, Danforth nominated Dole to his first term as Majority Leader in 1985. Former Senator Danforth discussed Dole's interaction with senators and the style that led him to be selected Leader by his colleagues more than any other Republican in history. VIDEO

Thursday, March 24, 2010 from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. &
Friday, March 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Changing the "Slow" Institution:
The U.S. Senate 1960-2010
This two-day academic conference featured nationally-recognized scholars from across the country on the traditions and changes of the U.S. Senate. It was co-sponsored by the University of Kansas Department of Political Science and organized by Professor Burdett Loomis. Open to the public.
Conference Schedule

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2009 Presidential Lecture Series

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 Presidential Lecture 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
Kasey Pipes on IKEPolitical historian Kasey Pipes, 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 Presidential Lecture 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 Presidential Lecture 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
VIDEO (.mov QuickTime)

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

PRESS RELEASE

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

Lacy, Rollins, Donatelli, WirthlinFmr. White House Advisors
Richard "Dick" Wirthlin
Ed Rollins

Frank Donatelli


 

 

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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
Presidential Historians/Authors

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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