After a weekend filled with events that focused on the past, 5,000 people gathered Tuesday at the Dole Institute of Politics to listen to patriotic speeches meant to catapult the institute into the future.

“This is a place where there will be a vigorous exchange of ideas,” said Tom Brokaw, NBC News anchor and author of “The Greatest Generation.”

“People will come and do research and remember public service is a great and honorable calling. … I see this institute here today as just the end of the beginning of Bob Dole’s great legacy.”

On the former senator’s 80th birthday, Kansas University, along with a host of big-name politicians and about 5,000 spectators, dedicated the 28,000-square-foot building on west campus that houses Dole’s political papers and contains exhibits on his life and will sponsor programs on political issues.

The dedication came after three days of dedication-related events focusing on the World War II generation.

“When I look at this building behind me, I know I must be dreaming,” Dole said.

Bipartisan support

On a partly cloudy, uncharacteristically mild July morning, Dole was surrounded on the podium by a broad spectrum of politicians: state leaders and national leaders, Republicans and Democrats, men and women.

They were former President Jimmy Carter; former U.S. Sens. Howard Baker, Nancy Kassebaum Baker and George McGovern; former U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp; Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, both Kansas Republicans, and Dole’s wife, Elizabeth, a North Carolina Republican; and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Bob Dole gives his signature thumbs-up signal to a friend during the dedication of the Dole Institute of Politics. The culminating event in four days of dedication activities was Tuesday, the former senator's 80th birthday.

Even the audience included well-known political figures. Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. — who like Dole was born in Russell — John McCain, R-Ariz., and Bob Bennett, R-Utah, were there, as were Reps. Todd Tiahrt and Jim Ryun, both Kansas Republicans, former Gov. Bill Graves, former U.S. secretary of agriculture Dan Glickman and former Kansas attorney general Bob Stephan.

Dole said the variety of political figures on hand represented the sort of bipartisan goal he has for the institute.

To illustrate that point, he told a story about McGovern, a liberal Democrat. After attending former President Richard Nixon’s funeral, reporters grilled McGovern about why he would honor the Republican he ran against in the 1972 presidential race. His response: “You can’t keep campaigning forever. When it’s over, it’s over.”

“For me, that was a classy statement,” Dole said. “That’s the kind of politics I hope we can encourage here, where conviction co-exists with civility, and the clash of ideas is never confused with the Holy War. We can have different views and opinions. We need that in America.”

Carter said recent debates over the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act were a healthy expression of civil debates.

“That’s part of American life, and that’s part of patriotism, to be able and willing as individual citizens to engage ourselves in shaping, through our elected leaders, the entire characteristics of a great nation,” he said. “Ours is the greatest nation, and I don’t think there’s any doubt the principles that describe a great nation are justice, truth, peace, freedom, democracy, civil and human rights, protection of the environment and the alleviation of the suffering of others.”

Hailing Dole, veterans

Former Sen. Bob Dole acknowledges someone in the crowd during dedication ceremonies for the Dole Institute of Politics. Next to Dole, from left, are his wife, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Dole Institute of Politics director Richard Norton Smith. The ceremonies Tuesday morning were the culmination of four days of Dole Institute dedication events.

Speakers who took the microphone before Dole heralded both the former senator and the World War II generation he has come to represent.

Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser, said she always heard the voice of Kansans when she listened to Dole speak.

“Bob has given more to America than most of us will ever do,” she said. “And America is grateful, in war and in peace, in good times and in bad. Bob Dole has rendered his spirit, his body and his soul to a cause larger than himself, the cause of freedom.”

Rice told veterans the Dole Institute of Politics would use their spirit — as well as Dole’s — to teach about service.

“Like Bob, many of you represent a link to the glories of our nation’s past,” she said. “You continue to inspire those who will lead America to an ever-brighter future. This institute will help train and equip those leaders. It will be dedicated to the proposition that every generation has the potential to equal or even surpass the achievements of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ though heaven knows that will be hard.”

Dole has repeatedly said the Dole Institute isn’t about him. But Sebelius disagreed.

“Senator Dole, as governor of Kansas let me be the one to say: This institute is all about you, in the sense that service to others has defined your remarkable American life,” she said.

After being called to the stage by Bob Dole, Medal of Honor Citation recipient Jack Lucas, Hattiesburg, Miss., right, joins former President Jimmy Carter, center, and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius during the dedication of the Dole Institute of Politics.

Another hill to climb

Richard Norton Smith, director of the Dole Institute and a longtime Dole friend, told the crowd it was appropriate the institute was located on a hill. After all, he said, hills have always been big factors in Dole’s life, both symbolically and literally: There is Mount Oread, where he first attended college; the hills of Italy where he was wounded in combat; the uphill battle of recovery from his wounds; and later, Capitol Hill.

“His life has long since become the stuff of legend,” Smith said. “His legacy is measured in a thousand bills and countless acts of kindness or inspiration to anyone who has ever been overlooked, sold short or counted out on account of a defeat or disability.”

During his own speech, Dole invited Jack Lucas, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner from Hattiesburg, Miss., to the stage to introduce him to Carter. Dole said Lucas had requested a chance to meet the former president, a fellow Southerner who hails from Georgia.

Lucas later insisted on leading the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Dole, though Roberts had been scheduled to lead the singing.

Video reports¢ 6News video: Dole Institute officially dedicated¢ 6News: NBC’s Brokaw begins Dole dedication ceremony¢ 6News video: Hemenway offers welcome to dedication visitors¢ 6News video: Brownback leads dedication invocation¢ 6News video: Kansas governor speaks of inspiration offered by Dole¢ 6News video: Rice offers tribute to Dole¢ 6News: Carter speaks at Dole Institute dedication¢ 6News: Dole says new institute to be monument to Kansas¢ 6News video: McGovern offers WWII memories¢ 6News video: Weekend filled with remembrances of bygone timePhoto gallery¢ Tuesday event photosDedication remarks¢ U.S. Sen. Bob Dole¢ Former President Jimmy Carter¢ Robert Hemenway, Kansas University chancellor¢ Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas¢ Condoleezza Rice, U.S. national security adviser¢Letter from President BushArticles¢ Where conviction, civility co-exist¢ Director’s efforts lauded¢ Friendship thicker than politics for Dole and McGovern¢ Grateful Dole works crowd at conclusion of dedication ceremonies¢ National coverage of dedication suffers from network partisanship

As he finished his speech, Dole told the crowd to say five words to veterans: “Thank you for your service.”

Working the crowd

As he shook hands and posed for photos for 45 minutes after the dedication ceremonies, Dole said the thing he enjoyed most about the dedication was Kansas people.

“It was a very nice day, beautiful people, and we just had a great time” he said. “It’s not about the people on the dais; it’s about the people out here.”

It was a Dole crowd, with even those who opposed his politics coming to Lawrence to honor him.

Kent McGregor of Denton, Texas, was visiting his mother in Topeka. He heard about the dedication and decided to attend.

The Vietnam-era veteran and Kansas University alumnus said his politics were nearly opposite Dole’s but that he respected the former senator “tremendously.”

“As an Army veteran, it was known that if you had trouble with the VA (Veterans Affairs), you called Bob Dole’s office and you got it straightened out,” said McGregor, who received three degrees from KU and teaches at the University of North Texas.

Bob John, who made the trip from Bushton, said he was a great admirer of Dole’s. “You don’t agree with anybody on everything, but generally speaking, I voted for him every time,” he said.

Part of history

Susan Carden of Lawrence was at the dedication with her son Chris Carden, 12.

Susan Carden said she wanted Chris to see a part of history and felt she was honoring her father, who served in World War II.

“Not very often do you have an event here like this,” she said.

Asked what he thought about all the fanfare, Chris said, “It’s cool.” The two planned to look later at some of the World War II aircraft displayed as part of the weekend events.

Others, like Sheri Johansen of Baldwin, a retired KU employee, said the dedication and media coverage would show a great side of Kansas.

“The only concept many people have is that we’re just this flat place out here with an occasional buffalo,” she said.

Holding her 3-month-old son Benjamin, Tonya Schwensen also said she was taking part in history. “It’s not common we get to hear speakers who are leaders of our country,” she said.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Schwensen said she had become more aware of the sacrifices made by members of the American military. “I just appreciate more the people who are willing to serve and protect our freedom,” she said.

Former lieutenant governor Shelby Smith, himself a World War II veteran, became emotional as he talked about Dole’s ability to handle the dedication ceremony. “It showed the strength of Bob Dole,” Smith said. “This institute will be a landmark for all of Kansas.”

According to Hoyle

The dedication speeches wrapped up four days of events surrounding the center, most focusing on the so-called “Greatest Generation” of World War II veterans and others of the era.

KU officials estimated 25,000 people attended events during the four days, though many people attended more than one event.

Aside from the cancellation of an appearance by former President Gerald Ford because of health problems, organizers said the four days went according to plans.

“This went off fairly well,” said Erik Nelson, associate director of the institute. “(The weather) was a little bit of everything — a typical Kansas weekend.”

With the building completed, he said the next goal would be to develop additional programming. The institute is planning seminars on political issues and oral history projects that will integrate with the academic programs at the university.

“We’re going to hit the ground running,” Nelson said. “We don’t expect to slow down at all.”

— Staff writer Scott Rothschild contributed to this report.