Bob Dole: Kansas Senator, World War II Hero and 1996 Republican Nominee

Bob Dole was an American politician and war hero who served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas and was the Republican nominee for president in 1996. Born Robert Joseph Dole on July 22, 1923, in Russell, Kansas, he served in the 10th Mountain Division in Italy.

Dole was seriously wounded in April 1945 and permanently lost the use of his right arm. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969 and in the Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was Senate Majority Leader (1985 to 1987 and 1995 to 1996) and Minority Leader (1987 to 1995). In 1976 he ran for vice president on the ticket with Gerald Ford, and he lost the 1996 presidential race to Bill Clinton.

Dole received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018. He married Elizabeth Hanford Dole in 1975, and she later served as a senator herself. He was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in February 2021. He died at his home in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2021, at age 98.

Achievements: Wounded in World War II (1945), U.S. Senator from Kansas (1969-1996), Senate Majority Leader, Republican presidential nominee (1996), Presidential Medal of Freedom (1997).

Birth: July 22, 1923 - Russell, Kansas.

Profession: Politician.

Interesting Facts: He worked to help pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. He later appeared in advertisements and was a spokesman for veterans.