Elizabeth and Bob Dole 2022 Medal for Distinguished Public Service
Former Senators Robert “Bob” Dole of Kansas and Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina have been selected as the recipients of the 2022 Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service. The medal was presented by Mike Ford, former chair of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and Roger Porter, Foundation trustee, in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2022.
Born in Russell, Kansas, Bob Dole studied at the University of Kansas until he enlisted in the United States Army during World War II. Following his enlistment, Bob studied at the University of Arizona in Tucson and transferred to Washburn University in Topeka where he graduated with both undergraduate and law degrees in 1952.
Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, Elizabeth Dole graduated with distinction from Duke University, earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Harvard University. She married Senator Bob Dole in 1975 while serving in the Nixon administration on the Federal Trade Commission.
During his tenure in the Senate, Bob Dole served as Majority Leader for two terms. In 1976, with the support of his wife Elizabeth, he campaigned as Gerald R. Ford’s running mate for Vice President, and in 1996 was the Republican nominee for the Presidency.
The citation notes, “Throughout his time as a Senator from Kansas, Bob Dole worked with the late Senator George McGovern to pass legislation making food stamps and school lunches more accessible. This effort expanded school lunch programs; helped establish the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and created a federal assistance program for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five. With McGovern, the Kansas Senator led the effort to simplify eligibility requirements.”
Bob Dole became a Senate legend. His ability to work with colleagues across the political spectrum made a lasting impact on America, for example, working with the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan to save Social Security from bankruptcy in 1983 and with the late Senator Ted Kennedy to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Senator Elizabeth Dole also received the 2022 Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
The citation notes, “As U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole worked with the late Senator Frank Lautenberg and the late Senator Richard Luger to ensure enactment of the 21-year-old drinking age. At virtually the same time, she issued a landmark regulation, which is credited with widespread enactment of the first state safety belt laws and air bags in cars. These three actions have saved nearly 500,000 lives to date with a projected 20,000 lives saved per year going forward.
“As president of the American Red Cross, she restructured the way the Red Cross collects, tests, and distributes one-half of the nation’s blood supply, ensuring that blood is safe to give and safe to get. Her actions, again, have saved countless lives.
“Elected to serve as a Senator in 2002, Elizabeth Dole became the first woman to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate. Throughout her career, Senator Dole has helped women and minorities break barriers and reach their full potential. In 2012, she founded Caring for Military Families: The Elizabeth Dole Foundation to raise awareness and support for the 5.5 million young spouses, mothers, fathers, and other loved ones caring for our nation’s wounded warriors at home.”
Throughout their extraordinary careers in public service, Robert and Elizabeth Dole have demonstrated the personal and professional qualities exemplified by their dear friend President Gerald R. Ford – integrity, strength of character, diligence, patriotism, and sound judgment.