Bob Dole was the Republican candidate for President in 1996 and ran unsuccessfully in that election, losing to Bill Clinton in his second term. Dole had a long career in the legislative branch, serving as US House Representive from Kansas from 1961-69 and US Senator from 1969-1996 and served as Senate Majority Leader from 1985-96. He set a record for being the longest serving Republican Leader.

Dole's legacy includes a commitment to combating hunger both in the United States and around the globe. In addition to numerous domestic programs, and along with former Senator George McGovern (D-South Dakota), Dole created an international school lunch program through the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which, funded largely through the Congress, helps fight child hunger and poverty by providing nutritious meals to children in schools in developing countries. It has since led to greatly increased global interest in and support for school-feeding programs — which benefit girls and young women, in particular — and won McGovern and Dole the 2008 World Food Prize.