An accessible version of the archival material represented on this site will be made available upon request.
Please contact us at dolearchives@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format.

Digital Exhibits


Dole Archives Object Exhibits

This project focuses on objects from Senator Bob Dole's life and showcases three object exhibits housed in our stacks. Corresponding educational resources incorporate object-based learning into the classroom.

large wooden desk with various museum objects on top

Voices from the Big First, 1961-1968

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 Bob Dole from the collections of the Dole Archives, this original exhibit offers a window into the hopes and fears of everyday Kansans as they responded to change at home and conflict abroad.

Young Bob Dole smiling next to montage of smaller face icons with archival document text. Reads 'Voices from the Big First, 1961 - 1968'

Buttons to Ballots: Icons of the Campaign Trail

Buttons are one of the most recognizable and enduring pieces of American campaign and political memorabilia, and have been used to support candidates and issues for over 100 years. This digital exhibit explores construction, design, color, and highlights notable Kansans, American symbols, and contemporary issues.

campaign buttons from box 3 of the Isabel Doerr Campbell Political Buttons Collection from the Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections.

Celebrating Opportunity for People with Disabilities: 70 Years of Dole Leadership

Dedicated to stories from Senator Dole's decades-long advocacy for people with disabilities, with an emphasis on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), this exhibit provides access to over 12,000 pages digitized from our manuscript collections.

Bob Dole smiling at a podium with a curtain in the background with the seal of the United States Presidential Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

Dole Family WWII Letters

A collection of personal letters between Bob Dole and members of his family between 1941-1947. Many of these letters were quoted from in his 2005 memoir, One Soldier's Story, and reflect his experiences as a KU student and as an Army officer in World War II.

The top half of a world war 2 letter from Kenny Dole to Bina Dole dated 7-18-43. An American flag icon in the top left corner reads 'A Letter a Day to Loved Ones Away'. The letter begins, 'Dear Mom: Well Mom I am on my way and am very happy to know that I will be able to see Bob, as I am going to Camp Barkley, I know this for sure...'

Greetings from Kansas

A collection of postcards presented to Senator Dole as a birthday gift in 1986. Primarily from the early part of the 20th century, these postcards feature scenes of Kansas (with many from Russell, KS), "tall tale" images, and political figures.

Vintage postcard of sunflowers reads "Greetings from Kansas"

Legacies of '76

An exhibit showcasing the people, places, and enduring legacies of the 1976 presidential election, featuring interactive resources from the Dole Archives, the Dole Institute programming archive, and other historical collections.

campaign poster featuring names 'Ford' and 'Dole' above two men facing each other

We Love Our Kansas City Royals!

This exhibit celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Kansas City Royals' 1985 World Series Championship victory. Drawing on the one-of-a-kind materials found in the archival collections, we showcase Senator Bob Dole's love of baseball and his decades-long support for the KC Royals.

Bob Dole and two Kansas City Royals baseball players in uniform

The Dole Institute Oral History Project

Preserving the legacy of Senator Dole through oral history interviews with a variety of people who knew and worked with him in various capacities, including friends, staffers, colleagues, journalists, members of Congress, and others.

A montage of 25 faces of the people interviewed for the Oral History project.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The admiration Senator Dole felt for his political hero, President Eisenhower, is strongly felt in the Dole Archives. This exhibit showcases at some relevant material from the collections, with a focus on the 1990 Dwight David Eisenhower Centennial Commission.

Dwight D. Eisenhower shaking hands with Bob Dole

VIP Letters

This interactive exhibit provides access to 268 letters written to Senator Dole from a variety of notable public figures, including U.S. Presidents, Congress people, foreign officials, and other distinguished persons.

Western Union Telegram. San Francisco Calif Oct 8, 1962. Honorable Robert Dole, 401 Stout St Pratt Kans. I wish you would make it known throughout your new congressional district that you have my full support for re-election. Your vigorous work in Congress, particularly your leadership in opposing agricultural legislation that would regiment the farmers of Kansas and of the nation has given you wide recognition. I feel certain your efforts will be acclaimed by the farmers and in fact by all the thinking...