Cover story
McAllister to lead Dole Institute as interim director
Stephen
R. McAllister, dean of the School of Law, will serve as interim director
of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, Chancellor Robert Hemenway
announced Wednesday.
McAllister, who grew up in Lucas near Dole’s hometown of Russell,
temporarily succeeds Richard Norton Smith, who is resigning to oversee
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. McAllister, who will
continue his duties as law school dean, will work closely with Smith until
his departure Dec. 1 and then will manage the facility and programs until
a permanent director is named next year.
“Richard Norton Smith has done an absolutely superb job at KU’s
Dole Institute,” said Hemenway. “Under his direction, it advanced
from groundbreaking to dedication in less than two years and is now poised
to become a significant addition to the academic life of the university
and the cultural heritage of Kansas. The best way to show my appreciation
for the superb work Richard has done at KU is to offer my assurances that
what he began will continue and prosper under new leadership.
“We are fortunate to have someone as talented and experienced as
Steve McAllister step in at this key time,” Hemenway continued.
McAllister, law school dean since July 2000, served nearly three years
as a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Clarence Thomas
and Judge Richard Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh
Circuit. McAllister was in private law practice before joining the law
school in 1993.
As Kansas’ first and only state solicitor from 1999 through 2003,
McAllister monitored, supervised and participated in constitutional cases.
He has briefed six and argued three Supreme Court cases.
Dole Institute of Politics
Open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily
Coming events:
l Presidential Lecture Series
l Patriot Act Forum
l Presidential Tour of New York and New England
More information, page 3