Robert J. Dole

Kansas leader and 1996 nominee whose wartime-wounded right hand became his symbol.

Overview

Grievously wounded in Italy in 1945, Dole recovered through years of surgery to serve Kansas in the House from 1961 to 1969 and the Senate from 1969 to 1996, rising to Republican leader and majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and 1995 to 1996. He helped write the Tax Reform Act of 1986, was a chief Senate sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and championed food stamp and agriculture programs. Ford's running mate in 1976 and the 1996 presidential nominee, he resigned his seat to campaign. He later campaigned against hunger and veterans' neglect, receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018.