Richard D. and Janet Lee Rees Collection of 1976 Republican National Convention Material, 1976-1981 | Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections

President Gerald Ford and Senator Bob Dole were declared the Republican President and Vice President nominees at the 1976 Republican National Convention, held at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, August 16 - 19. Wanting to see what the convention had been like, Richard and Janet Rees snuck into the arena after it was over but before cleanup had begun. They collected whatever seemed interesting from the floor and wastebaskets, and they kept the documents and memorabilia at their home for decades.

During the summer of 2016, the Kansas City Public Library and the Dole Institute partnered on an exhibit about the 1976 convention, which connected Richard Rees and the Dole Archives. Some items from this collection were displayed during the exhibition. In November 2016, Mr. Rees donated the collection to the Dole Archives in honor of his late wife, Janet.