About Bob Dole

Robert “Bob” Joseph Dole found strength in a modest Midwestern background to overcome devastating war wounds and become a towering figure in American politics. Dole was elected to the House of Representatives in 1960, where he served until he won a Senate seat in 1968. His Senate Republican colleagues elected him Leader in 1985, which he held until he resigned to run for president in 1996, making him the longest serving Republican Leader in the history of the Senate. A master in the art of practical politics, Dole worked across the aisle to save Social Security, reform America’s hunger and nutrition programs, reduce the federal deficit, and pass the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Dole’s activity as a senior statesman includes spearheading the creation of the World War II Memorial, being awarded the World Food Prize and serving on the advisory board of the Bipartisan Policy Center, which is dedicated to creating bipartisan solutions to national problems.