Dole Institute of Politics: A calm place to discuss hot topics
12 a.m. Thursday, October 4, 2007
Lawrence — Welcoming visitors to the Robert Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence is a giant stained-glass American flag.
Jonathan Earle is the Interim Director for the Dole Institute, and to his knowledge, the flag is the largest stained-glass American flag in the world.
"It is just a gorgeous thing to look at. The light comes through. It provides, I think, a really suitable and awe inspiring back-drop for everything we do here," says Jonathan.
Flanking the flag are two beams from the World Trade Center.
Have a picture to contribute?
Collecting Kansas World War Two veteran pictures is an ongoing project. Rright now, they have about 4,000 pictures. If you know someone who is a Kansas World War Two veteran, contact the Institute about getting a picture in the archives.
On Sunday, October 21st, civil rights pioneer Congressman John Lewis will receive the Dole Leadership Prize. He's been called the "conscience of the U.S. Congress." Very active in the Civil Rights Movement, Lewis was beaten during a march. The damage to his skull is still visible. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are free and available for reservation at the Lied Center box office.
"We found out recently [they're] from between the 58th and 61st floors of tower one. These beams were gifts to Senator Dole from Mayor Bloomberg of New York City," says Jonathan.
The flag and historical beams are just one part of the vast array of artifacts which make up the Dole Collection. The Institute was founded to house the Senator's personal and professional papers and memorabilia. The Senator also wanted to make the Institute a calm place to discuss hot topics.
"A place where people can talk civilly about politics, about the issues that divide us," says Jonathan.
Jonathan says the Institute is currently the largest Congressional archive in the country. Dole spent more than 35 years in Congress. The Institute has 4,000 boxes of Dole papers, including 25,000 photographs and 400 original letters.
Dole was a World War Two veteran, and at the heart of the Institute is the Memory Wall -- pictures of Kansas World War Two veterans. The Dole Collection has nearly 4,000 pictures.
Jonathan says it's about preserving a part of Kansas history.
"And what people call the Greatest Generation. This generation that went through the Great Depression. Defeated Fascism in Europe. And dictatorship in the Pacific. And kind of got us where we are today," said Jonathan.
Jonathan says the Institute is a political 'safe haven.'
"We provide something that wasn't here before, a place to talk about politics and to try to come up with some bipartisan solutions to our nations' problems. That's what I think the Dole Institute's about," said Jonathan.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)