Bob Dole Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole received a Congressional Gold Medal today during a ceremony in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Dole was presented the medal in recognition of his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman.

Dole was born on July 22, 1923, in Russell, Kansas. In 1941, he enrolled at the University of Kansas as a pre-medical student but his collegiate studies were interrupted by WWII.

During a military offensive in Italy, Dole was seriously wounded while trying to save a fellow soldier. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with an Oak Cluster for his service, and also received an American Campaign Medal, a European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal.

Dole served two terms as a Kansas congressman from 1961-1969; then went on to serve for his state in the Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was also the Republican’s vice presidential nominee in the 1976 presidential election and the presidential nominee in the 1996 presidential election.

Designed and engraved by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna, the medal’s obverse (heads) features a portrait of Senator Bob Dole with the U.S. Capitol Building in the background. Inscriptions include SON OF KANSAS, SOLDIER, STATESMAN, and BOB DOLE.

Designed and engraved by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill, the medal’s reverse (tails) shows a Kansas wheat field below a quote from Senator Dole: FOR GREATNESS LIES NOT IN WHAT OFFICE YOU HOLD, BUT IN HOW HONEST YOU ARE, IN HOW YOU FACE ADVERSITY, AND IN YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STAND FAST IN HARD PLACES. An additional inscription includes ACT OF CONGRESS 2017.

Bronze replicas of the medal are authorized by Congress under Public Law No: 115-60 and are available from the United States Mint. A 3-inch version is sold for $39.95 and a 1.5-inch version is available for $6.95. Orders are accepted online at catalog.usmint.gov or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).