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Exhibit U.S. Senate 101 Opens

An exhibit, U.S. Senate 101, runs through December 23, 2022, on the first floor of Criss Library. 

UNO alum Chuck Hagel served as a U.S. Senator (NE-R) from 1997 to 2009 and as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2015. When he left the U.S. Senate, he donated his records to UNO. They became the U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel Archives.

Illustrated with documents from the Hagel Archives and selected quotes from the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Senate 101 provides a basic primer on the U.S. Senate. The exhibit introduces visitors to the main responsibilities of the U.S. Senate as a legislative body and the activities that fill the days of the 100 senators who call it home. Sections of the exhibit cover legislation, committee service, nominations, treaties, impeachment, and oversight and investigations.

Finally, with one-third of the Senate’s 100 seats up for election every two years, the exhibit encourages visitors to vote. Visitors are invited to scan a QR code to check their voter registration status and register to vote if needed, as well as sign up to receive election reminders. This is made possible by the University of Nebraska Omaha Turbovote.

Now Open for Research : The U.S. Senate Chuck Hagel Archives is available for use in person at Archives and Special Collections on the first floor of Criss Library. Now available for research is the Legislative Files series, the largest and most content-rich set of material in the Hagel Archives. Hagel’s legislative files cover almost every issue that arose in legislation or was prominent at the national level from 1997 to 2009. Significant events and topics include the Clinton impeachment proceedings in 1998-1999, a contested presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economic downtown of 2007-2009, and disaster and drought assistance for Nebraska's rural areas. 

For more information about all the records available for research, visit the finding aid for the Hagel Archives. Archives and Special Collections is open to researchers Monday-Friday 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. We recommend researchers contact archivists in advance of their visit to view materials.  

This exhibit was curated by Lori Schwartz, Hagel and Technical Services Archivist.