August 8, 2001 | KU Radio News Line

Audio



 •News release


Contact: Frank Barthell, University Relations, (785) 864-8869.

Radio News Line text:
New director of Dole Institute has Kansas ties

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS CHANCELLOR ROBERT HEMENWAY ANNOUNCED TODAY PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR RICHARD NORTON SMITH AS THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE ROBERT J. DOLE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND PUBLIC POLICY TODAY.

SMITH IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY ON THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY. HE HAS WRITTEN OR COLLABORATED ON EIGHT BOOKS, THREE OF THEM WITH DOLE. HE IS CURRENTLY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GERALD R. FORD FOUNDATION IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

THE DOLE INSTITUTE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1997 AT K-U TO HONOR THE FORMER KANSAS SENATOR. BESIDES HOSTING DOLE'S OFFICIAL AND PERSONAL PAPERS AND CONGRESSIONAL MATERIAL THE CENTER IS DESIGNED TO FOSTER NEW THINKING ON MAJOR POLICY ISSUES AND ENCOURAGE STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE. SMITH SAYS HE'S EXCITED BY THE DUAL PURPOSES OF THE CENTER

SMITH: "It's going to be a place where scholars can come and do research into the past, but it is also going to have a very contemporary component. I think through major conferences, through high visibility speakers we are going to try to do all kinds of programs that involve the public."

SMITH SAYS ONE VALUABLE CONFERENCE MIGHT FOCUS ON THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICS AND THE NEWS MEDIA.

SMITH: "One of the things I want to do at the institute is to look at the relationship between the media and politics because if you look at Bob Dole's career that is the backdrop. When Bob Dole went into politics it was a print culture that is obviously no longer the case. That has enormous implications for the state of American democracy."

SMITH SAYS BOTH SENATOR DOLE AND K-U CHANCELLOR ROBERT HEMENWAY ENVISION THE CENTER AS A STATEWIDE RESOURCE.

SMITH: "My sense both from the Senator and from the Chancellor is that the Dole Institute is in fact seen as something being of the university but something that is for the whole state and in fact beyond."

SMITH WAS AN ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER CENTER IN ABILENE IN 1990, HE'S EXCITED ABOUT RETURNING TO KANSAS, AND WORKING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.

SMITH: "KU is one of the country's great universities and I think the opportunity for me to be part of that and to learn from that while at the same time hopefully sharing what I have learned over the years; that's one of the most exciting parts of this for me."

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