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Inside Iowa State
February 5, 1999

Dole lecture is Feb. 19

by Steve Sullivan

Elizabeth Dole, who holds the Mary Louise Smith Endowed Chair in Women and Politics, will speak at Stephens Auditorium at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. The event is hosted by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. It is free and open to the public.

Last month, Dole left her position as president of the American Red Cross and is reported to be considering a run for president.

Dole has a long career in public service. She has held positions in five U.S. presidential administrations, including secretary of transportation under Ronald Reagan and secretary of labor under George Bush. She was the first woman to hold the transportation secretary position.

Dole was appointed director of the American Red Cross in 1991. She took a 14-month leave of absence from November 1995 to January 1997 to accompany her husband, former Sen. Robert Dole, during his presidential campaign.

Dole has been named by the Gallup Poll as one of the world's most admired women and has received numerous awards for her public service and leadership.

The Mary Louise Smith Endowed Chair in Women and Politics was created in 1995 to honor the only woman to chair the National Committee of the Republican Party. Eddyville native Smith was a founding member of the Iowa Women's Political Caucus and led the Republican national committee from 1974 through 1977. She was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1977.

Fund raising continues to endow the $1 million chair, which is designed to bring outstanding political scholars and leaders to campus.

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