Bob Dole

Who Was Bob Dole?

Bob Dole was a prominent American politician whose career spanned several decades. He began his political journey in the Kansas state legislature, serving from 1951 to 1953, before taking on the role of prosecuting attorney for Russell County for four consecutive terms. Dole’s influence grew when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 1961 to 1969. He then transitioned to the U.S. Senate, holding office from 1969 until 1996. During his tenure in the Senate, Dole held significant leadership positions, including minority leader and majority leader. His political career included an unsuccessful bid for the vice presidency alongside Gerald Ford in 1976 and a presidential run in 1996, during which he lost to incumbent President Bill Clinton. Following his departure from politics, Dole authored several books, practiced law, and became a spokesperson for various consumer products.

Early Life

Robert Joseph “Bob” Dole was born on July 22, 1923, in Russell, Kansas. He was raised in a family that emphasized hard work and sacrifice; his father, Doran Dole, operated a stand selling eggs and cream, while his mother, Bina, worked as a traveling saleswoman for Singer sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. Bob was the eldest of four siblings, with one brother, Kenny, and two sisters, Gloria and Norma Jean. The Great Depression profoundly affected the Dole family, forcing them to adapt by moving into the basement of their home and renting out the upstairs to oilfield workers. This period of struggle instilled in Dole the values of perseverance and resilience, which would influence his future endeavors.

Dole’s upbringing also included a strong religious foundation. He later reflected, “As a young man in a small town, my parents taught me to put my trust in God, not government, and never confuse the two.” In his youth, Dole was active in the Boy Scouts and excelled in sports, earning positions on several all-conference teams. He also held various jobs, including working as a paperboy and a soda jerk at a local drugstore, where the owner praised him as a “good worker.” After graduating from high school in 1941, Dole attended the University of Kansas, initially pursuing a premedical program, inspired by the doctors he had encountered while working at the drugstore.

Military Service

Dole’s college career was abruptly interrupted by the United States’ entry into World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and was called to active duty in early 1943. Following his completion of training programs in the United States, Dole became a combat infantry officer and was deployed to Italy in 1944, serving in a relatively secure area near Rome. In 1945, he was reassigned to a post near the Po Valley in northern Italy, where a German machine gun nest remained. Despite his limited combat experience, he was ordered to lead an assault against this position, an event he later described as “the day that changed my life.”

During the attack, an Army radioman fell under enemy fire, prompting Dole to attempt a rescue. In the process, he sustained severe injuries, including a shattered right shoulder, fractured vertebrae in his neck and spine, paralysis from the neck down, extensive shrapnel wounds, and a damaged kidney. Medical assessments following the battle indicated that his survival was highly uncertain.

However, after multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation, Dole not only survived but exceeded expectations for recovery. He retained some physical limitations, particularly with his paralyzed right arm and hand; during public appearances, he often held a pen in his right hand to make it appear less conspicuous. The community of Russell provided significant support during his recovery, and as a keepsake, Dole still cherishes a cigar box that contained donations for his medical expenses. In recognition of his service, Dole was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. During his recovery period, he met Phyllis Holden, a nurse at the Michigan hospital where he was treated, and they married in June 1948.

After more than three years of rehabilitation, Dole took advantage of the G.I. Bill, which offered financial assistance for veterans pursuing education. He initially attended the University of Arizona to study liberal arts before transferring to Washburn Municipal College in Topeka, Kansas, to study law. Encouraged to enter politics while in college, Dole ran as a Republican candidate for the Kansas state legislature, winning despite the fact that both of his parents were registered Democrats. His moderate stance may have been influenced by Republican leader John Woelk’s advice that to succeed in Kansas politics, one should declare as a Republican. Dole earned his undergraduate and law degrees in 1952, was admitted to the bar, and began practicing law in Russell.

Political Career

The early 1950s marked the beginning of Dole’s distinguished public service career, which spanned five decades. He served in the Kansas state legislature until 1953, after which he became the county attorney for Russell County. In 1961, encouraged to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated by a retiring incumbent, Dole faced a significant challenge due to his limited name recognition outside his home county. His campaign featured creative tactics, including a female singing group called Dolls for Dole, the distribution of free Dole brand juice, and a coffin with a Frankenstein dummy bearing the sign, “You have nothing to fear with Dole.” Additionally, his daughter Robin, born in 1954, wore a banner proclaiming, “I’m for Daddy — Are You?”

Dole secured the Republican nomination and subsequently won the election against his Democratic opponent. He was re-elected twice and earned a reputation as a conservative willing to advocate for unpopular positions, such as his support for Barry Goldwater’s presidential bid in 1964, which nearly cost him his second congressional term.

After his third term in Congress, Dole sought a more influential role in the U.S. government. A longtime U.S. senator from Kansas informed Dole of his retirement and encouraged him to campaign for the vacant seat. Dole approached this opportunity with the same vigor that characterized his previous campaigns. He won the election in 1968, the same year Richard Nixon was elected president. Dole became an advocate for Nixon, who took note of Dole’s support and appointed him as the Republican National Chairman in 1971.

In early 1972, Dole finalized a divorce from his first wife. The demands of his political career had strained their marriage, with Dole spending considerable time away from home; he had shared only two meals with his wife and daughter over the course of a year. Despite this, his former wife expressed her shock when Dole, her husband of more than 23 years, requested a divorce. That same year, Dole met Elizabeth Hanford, who would become his second wife in 1975; the couple remains married today.

Dole continued to serve in the Senate until 1996, successfully winning re-election in 1974, 1980, 1986, and 1992. During his tenure, he chaired numerous committees and established a conservative voting record, earning a reputation as a “hatchet man” for his outspoken criticism of policies he deemed unwise. This characteristic played a crucial role in his selection as Gerald Ford’s running mate in the 1976 presidential election. However, during the campaign, Dole faced backlash for a controversial comment suggesting that World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War were “Democrat wars,” a remark that may have contributed to their loss to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Despite the setback of the 1976 campaign, Dole remained undeterred in his presidential aspirations. He entered the Republican primaries in 1980 and again in 1988, but he was unsuccessful in both attempts. Throughout this period, he served as acting Senate majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and as minority leader from 1987 to 1995. In 1996, Dole finally secured the Republican nomination and faced off against Democrat Bill Clinton, who was running for re-election.

Unfortunately, Dole’s campaign echoed the challenges he faced in the Ford election, as he often found himself criticized for being his own worst enemy. Ultimately, he lost the election to Clinton, resigning from the Senate after winning the primary to devote himself entirely to his presidential campaign, thereby concluding his career as an elected official.

Later Years

In the years following his presidential bid, Dole dedicated himself to his law firm, political advocacy, speaking engagements, and philanthropic activities. He gained widespread recognition for appearing in a commercial for Viagra. His wife, Elizabeth, a former Republican senator, lost her seat in the 2008 elections. Notably, Dole holds the record for the longest-serving Republican leader.

Even after leaving office, Dole remained active in political discourse. He endorsed Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign. In November of that year, Dole experienced a health crisis and spent time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he lobbied his former colleagues from his hospital bed, urging them to support the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities legislation. Although he continued to advocate for the bill after his release, it ultimately did not garner enough votes to pass.

In 2013, Dole publicly supported Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, during his confirmation hearings. In a statement published in the International Business Times, Dole commended Hagel’s wisdom and courage, asserting that he was uniquely qualified to lead the armed forces during a critical time.

Since retiring from politics, Dole authored or co-authored several books, including his memoir, One Soldier’s Story.

On January 17, 2018, Dole was set to receive the Congressional Medal of Freedom from President Trump and bipartisan congressional leaders in recognition of his service as a “soldier, legislator, and statesman.” Kansas Senator Pat Roberts remarked on his support for the award, stating he gathered backing from all 100 senators in just two days, telling Dole, “You are our hero.”

Health and Death

In February 2021, Dole announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed solidarity with millions of Americans facing significant health difficulties. Dole passed away on December 5, 2021.