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Lonnie Bunch Announces Retirement as Smithsonian Secretary
On Tuesday, Lonnie G. Bunch III announced his retirement after seven years as the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, describing his tenure as a profound privilege and calling the institution one of the great loves of his life.
Bunch began his career in the late 1970s when Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins hired him to work in the education department, later returning to lead the NMAAHC before his 2019 appointment as Secretary.
His tenure expanded the institution's roster of 19 museums by adding two new members: the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino, cementing institutional growth.
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, who serves as the Smithsonian chancellor, said the Board of Regents will manage the transition and ensure a smooth succession for Bunch's replacement.
Bunch described the Smithsonian as a "national classroom," emphasizing that the institution's work helps the nation understand its complex history and remains essential to America's self-understanding.
The first African-American leader of the prestigious institution announced his "retirement" as he faced numerous pressures from the Trump administration, accusing the Smithsonian of conveying an overly progressive world view.