The Dodd Center was built to preserve and extend the legacy of Connecticut Senator and Nuremberg International Military Tribunal executive trial counsel Thomas J. Dodd (1907-1971). The Center provides a technologically advanced environment for the preservation and care of valuable research materials, houses critical university programs, and hosts exhibitions, events, and other activities for the campus community and broader public.
The Dodd Center currently houses the Human Rights Institute, the University Library’s Archives & Special Collections, and the Center for Judaic Studies & Contemporary Jewish Life.
Event Space
To reserve the Doris & Simon Konover Auditorium, the Public Lounge, or the Atrium, please contact University Events and Conference Services (UECS) at reservations@uconn.edu or 860-486-0229.
For the conference room 162, please check availability and then submit a reservation.
The Center’s History
Through the support and initiative of UConn President John T. Casteen III, Senator Christopher J. Dodd, and other members of the Dodd family, The Dodd Center was proposed and quickly garnered support from Connecticut’s governor, General Assembly, and the University in 1989.
Completed in 1995, the building was first dedicated on October 15, 1995 at a ceremony presided over by University President Harry J. Hartley, United States Ambassador to Uruguay Thomas J. Dodd, Jr., Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland, and President Bill Clinton.
On October 15, 2021, the building was rededicated as The Dodd Center for Human Rights to honor the public service and human rights legacies of Thomas J. Dodd and Christopher J. Dodd. In a ceremony that coincided with the 75th anniversary of the International Military Tribunal’s verdict at Nuremberg, President Joe Biden, Senator Chris Dodd, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont gathered to extend the legacy of Nuremberg for the next generation and renew focus on democracy and rule of law.
Designed by Fletcher-Thompson, Inc. of Bridgeport, the building won the American School & University Architectural Award Gold Citation and has served as a model for archival, research, and public programming facilities.
Directions & Parking
Directions to Campus
To get to UConn’s Storrs campus, take I-84 east to exit 68 and turn right onto 195 south or I-84 west to exit 68 and turn left onto Route 195 south. Travel south on Route 195 straight through the intersection with Route 32. At the intersection of Route 195 and Route 44, proceed straight approximately 1.5 miles to the Storrs campus.
Parking
We recommend parking in the South Parking Garage. To get there, at the intersection of Route 195 and North Eagleville Road, proceed straight ahead through two traffic lights. At the third traffic light, turn right onto Mansfield Road. Follow the road as it bears to the right. At the stop sign, turn left onto Gilbert Road. Proceed to the first stop sign and turn right onto Hillside Road. Proceed to the first stop sign and turn left onto Jim Calhoun Way. The entrance to the South Parking Garage will be on your left.
If utilizing GPS, please use 2366 Jim Calhoun Way, Storrs, CT 06269.
View parking rates.
Walking Directions from the South Parking Garage to The Dodd Center
Walking from the South Garage, pass the UConn Bookstore, cross Hillside Road, and walk straight between the School of Business building on your left and the new Student Recreation Center on your right. Continue straight until you reach the Whetten Graduate Center (concrete and brick building). Walk to your right around the Whetten Graduate Center, then around the side of the Whetten building to the right and you will see the back entrance to the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center (blue glass double doors) straight ahead.