Former United States Senator Bob Dole at a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery | May 28, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
Bob Dole died at the age of 98, announced his family on Sunday. Dole, a Kansas native, overcame life-threatening injuries during World War II, which ended his hopes of becoming a doctor. Dole went on to become Republican leader in the Senate for nearly 11 years, before becoming the 1996 Republican nominee for president. At 73, he was one of the oldest first-time presidential nominees. He retired from politics after losing the race to incumbent President Bill Clinton.
Former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle, who was the Senate’s top Democrat when Dole was majority leader the 2nd time, said in a 2000 speech.
“By all rights, he and I should have had a lousy relationship. The fact that we did not was due to Bob Dole — to his civility, to his pragmatism, to his quick wit and self-effacing humor, and to his love of this country and to this United States Senate. His sense of fairness and decency is a standard for which everyone in public life should aim.”
Bob Dole’s life and death in many ways is the definitive end of a political era. His childhood was shaped by the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II.
