Thu, 02/04/2021
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.