A Giant of the Greatest Generation

Bob Dole, former senator and presidential candidate, dead at 98

Bob Dole, who served for 25 years in the Senate and was the Republican Party's 1996 nominee for president, died early Sunday morning in his sleep at the age of 98, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation announced.

The announcement did not mention a cause of death, but Dole announced in February that he had begun treatment for Stage IV lung cancer.

Dole served in the Army during World War II and was wounded while trying to drag a fallen comrade to safety. He spent months recovering and never regained the use of his right arm. According to his New York Times obituary, Dole "couldn't shake hands" and "would clutch a pen in his fist to discourage people from trying."

Over a long career as a senator from Kansas, he helped pass legislation including the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dole retired from politics following his defeat in the 1996 presidential election. As a retiree, he raised money for the World War II Memorial and met with veterans.

He made one of his last public appearances in 2018 to honor President George H. W. Bush as the late president's body lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Dole's caretaker lifted him out of his wheelchair so he could salute Bush's body with his left hand.

Dole is survived by his widow, Elizabeth, who served as labor secretary under the first President Bush and as a U.S. senator from North Carolina, and by his daughter, Robin Dole.