The Dirksen Congressional Center promotes research and scholarship to advance the public understanding of the U.S. Congress.
Named for Everett McKinley Dirksen (1896-1969) and located in his hometown of Pekin, Illinois, The Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Dirksen served in the U.S. House from 1933-1948, the U.S. Senate from 1951-1969, and as Minority Leader of the Senate from 1959 until his death in September 1969.
The Center holds over 200 archival collections, including the papers of every U.S. Representative from central Illinois’s 18th congressional district (and its predecessors) since 1933.
The Center has awarded over $1,100,000 in grants to more than 500 scholars conducting research about Congress since 1978 and an additional $850,000 for such special projects as publications, conferences, workshops, and directed research.