Dirksen Congressional Center

An undated photo of U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen tending to his garden in the Washington, D.C. area. Dirksen advocated to name the marigold the national flower.

SNL vet Darrell Hammond will portray Sen. Everett Dirksen in upcoming stage reading of 'The Honorable Mr. Marigold'

Tim Shelley

The prolific comedian impersonated more than 100 celebrities over his 1995-2009 stint on the show. Now he's bringing that skill to the stage in a serious portrayal of Pekin's favorite son.

Senator Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), Senate Minority leader, left, and Majority leader Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.) telephone from the Capitol to President Johnson in the White House that Congress has finished its pending legislation and is ready to adjourn, early Oct. 23, 1965. The president sent his thanks to the leaders and all members of the Congress, and the Senate adjourned sine die (without scheduling a future session) at 12:51 a.m., EDT, followed by the House one minute later. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)

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'Bipartisan Giants' looks at Dirksen and Mansfield's unique collaborative approach, and a window into why it's lacking today

Tim Shelley

Author Marc C. Johnson, a former broadcast journalist and aide to former Gov. Cecil Andrus, D-Idaho, said the relationship between Mansfield, a Democrat from Montana; and Dirksen, a Republican senator from Illinois, was unique in modern American politics.

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New internship program opens the way to the halls of Congress for Bradley University students

Tim Shelley

A new partnership between Bradley University and the Dirksen Congressional Center will provide students a fully-funded opportunity to intern in a congressional office.

President John F. Kennedy signs the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in the Oval Office on Oct. 7, 1963, as lawmakers look on, including Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), over Kennedy's shoulder. Negotiations on the treaty were jump-started after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and it was signed by Kennedy just less than one year after the crisis.

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How a bipartisan foreign policy approach helped stave off a nuclear crisis six decades ago

Tim Shelley

Tensions between two nuclear powers have worldwide repercussions. That's as true today as it was in 1962.

U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.) plants marigolds at the White House in the 1960s.

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Pekin's Marigold Festival is named after Senator Everett Dirksen's favorite flower. Here's why he loved them

Tim Shelley

For the Marigold Festival's 50th anniversary, Pekin is taking a look back to the celebration's roots.

Senator Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), Senate Minority leader, sits atop a table as he talks with newsmen on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Aug. 3, 1965. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)

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New theatrical production will focus on the final days of U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen of Pekin

Tim Shelley

The Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin is commissioning a new theatrical production based upon its namesake.

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Reflecting on Bob Michel's Leadership of the House Republican Minority

Tim Shelley

Congress could use fewer showhorses, and more workhorses.That's according to Sean Q Kelly. He's a political science professor at California State…

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50 Years After Death, Everett Dirksen's Legacy Lives On

Tim Shelley

Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the death of U.S. Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen of Pekin. The Pekin Republican was elected to the Senate in 1950…

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New Leadership Coming to Dirksen Congressional Center

Tim Shelley

Frank Mackaman is handing the reins of the Dirksen Congressional Center to Tiffany White next year. White is the current chief of staff for state Rep.…