Thank you for a day I will always treasure

Lonnie G. Bunch III was installed as 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on November 1, 2019. Here are his prepared remarks from the ceremony.

Secretary Lonnie Bunch III with the ceremonial key to the Smithsonian Castle, Nov. 1, 2019. (Photo by Jacklyn Nash)

Dear colleagues, members of the Board of Regents, distinguished guests, and that rowdy group of my cousins. Thank you for joining us to share this special moment, because there is no place I love more than the Smithsonian.

Let me first thank Chief Justice Roberts, the Chancellor of the Smithsonian, a fervent supporter of the Smithsonian Institution, whose steady leadership has made us stronger.

To the members of the Board of Regents, I am humbled and thankful for your confidence and support; and for entrusting me with this remarkable institution in what I believe is a time of great possibility.

While this is a time to look forward, as a historian I cannot help but think back and revel in the memories of the events and people who shaped this journey.  I think of a trip my family took in the mid 1960’s from our home in New Jersey to visit relatives in the still segregated south.  It was the celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the Civil War, and I wanted to stop at the battlefields and museums we passed in Virginia and North Carolina, but we never stopped.  On the return, my family pulled into Washington and parked in front of the Smithsonian.  Then my dad explained that I could visit the Smithsonian and not worry about being turned away because of race.

I have never forgotten that moment which told me that the Smithsonian was a site of knowledge and education.  A place that welcomed all to learn, marvel, and imagine.  An institution where anyone, regardless of who they were, could become something more than who they had been.

I could never have imagined that a temporary job at the National Air and Space Museum in 1978 would lead me to a career and a calling – from my work at the National Museum of American History, to the founding the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and now to this culmination of this unexpected and unlikely journey.

Who would have believed that I would work for six Secretaries and then I would become one – especially since I had no idea that the Smithsonian had a Secretary.

I must thank my family, my daughters, one who went to the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in this building, and my wife Maria who I met while working at the National Air and Space Museum.  And especially my mother who is here today, who taught me to believe in myself and my country.

I am at this moment because of the many amazing colleagues here at the Institution, who mentored me, challenged me, and embraced me.  I recognize that I am standing on the shoulders of people like Solomon Brown, John Kinard, Zora Felton, and Lou Pernell.  And I am fortunate to follow in the footsteps of gifted Secretaries, like S. Dillon Ripley who hired me and my dear friend David Skorton.

A long and proud history undergirds the Smithsonian.  As a historian, I appreciate the weight of this legacy.  While we should respect and revel in the past, we must never be trapped by our traditions.

The Smithsonian has always been a forward-looking institution, a site to shape, capture, and share innovation with our audiences.  We supported early experiments in rocketry, developed the forerunner of the National Weather Service, helped a nation understand and celebrate its bicentennial, helped save coral reefs, and recently captured the first ever image of a black hole.

I am deeply proud of our legacy, but even prouder of the work we do now.  I am always moved and impressed by the creativity and the productivity of the Smithsonian; from our world class collections and exhibitions, our pioneering environmental research, our preservation of cultural heritage, and our innovative educational and audience driven initiatives – it is an impressive portfolio.

But imagine our impact if we worked as one Smithsonian that allowed us to rise above our silos to find common, collaborative ground that amplified our impact.  I was struck during my recent visit to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory that the wonderfully powerful image of the black hole was only made possible by using an army of powerful telescopes situated throughout the world to work together to focus their attention and resources at one specific moment at one target, which led to the image seen around the world.  I want the Smithsonian to have those laser focused moments that would allow us to be transformative and leverage all of our assets, capitalize on our strengths, rethink our possibilities, and venture to be an evolving, innovative 21^st century institution.  When we value contributions from every corner of the Smithsonian, when we think and act creatively about crossing interdisciplinary boundaries, and when we use our resources to their fullest potential, the results are transformative.

And through that transformation the Smithsonian can have greater reach, greater relevance, and a more profound impact.

It is essential that we develop the virtual Smithsonian that complements and amplifies our collections, our expertise, our exhibitions in a way unimaginable just a few years ago. Through this robust digital strategy we should aim to touch every home and every school in America. Everyone should have the opportunity to explore the wonder of the Smithsonian, even if they never venture to Washington. And we should have a more aggressive and more strategic use of the important resources such as SITES and the wonderful partners we have through the Affiliates program. Thus, the Smithsonian – virtually and traditionally – can reach audiences throughout the nation.

It is important that we continue our efforts to make the Smithsonian even more relevant. In a world full of challenging issues and partisan debates, our gifted scholars, researchers, historians, curators, conservators and educators can contextualize and bring reason and knowledge that speak directly to contemporary issues such as the social impact of changing technologies, climate change, shifting notions of cultural and national identities, innovation and more. Ultimately, we should provide our audiences with tools that help them navigate the challenges of a quickly evolving world.

One of the areas where we can make a greater impact is in education. Marrying the possibilities of digital access coupled with the strong educational and programming offerings housed in our museums and research centers, we can contribute mightily to the challenge of providing equal and effective educational access to all primary and secondary school children. I have been moved by the on-line Smithsonian Learning Lab where one can find numerous resources that support teachers: where schools can create content and curate collections to engage all learners. And I am intrigued by a collaboration with the Washington, DC Public School System that may become a model of the future partnerships between museum and education systems nationally.

Ultimately the Smithsonian is a place of life long learning and we will continue to nurture that goal but we have a special duty to our Pre-K – 12 students: to use our resources to encourage curiosity, to ignite wonder and spark the joy of learning.

We Are The Smithsonian

In the last few months, I am often asked what do I envision for the Smithsonian. The key to my success will be if we – and I emphasize we – the Smithsonian can build on an amazing legacy to become the institution this country needs and deserves:

So, we, the Smithsonian – will be a research driven, audience centered institution committed to contributing to the greater good.

We, the Smithsonian – will be a hub of learning and innovation, who bring together diverse voices to grapple with the key contemporary concerns.

We, the Smithsonian, will be the place Americans looks to understand themselves, their history and their world, a glue that helps to hold a country together.

We, the Smithsonian, will become comfortable with working outside our silos, reaching across museum and research center boundaries to maximize our creativity and our impact.

We, the Smithsonian, will be a more nimble organization that embraces innovation as the key to becoming the Smithsonian of the 21^st century.

We, the Smithsonian, will be a place of collaboration both within the institution as well as with entities off the Mall.

We, the Smithsonian, will strike a thoughtful balance between tradition and innovation, using technology to expand our reach, our vision and leading us to places we have yet to imagine.

We, the Smithsonian, will be an open and accessible institution that allows any person regardless of age, gender, race, background or ability to experience the wonders of the Smithsonian in order to inspire new generations.

Ultimately, we, the Smithsonian, will be an institution that makes our communities and country stronger. An institution not just visited and venerated, but valued for our contributions to the community and the nation we serve.

Let me end, as I began, by looking back. In 1862, the Smithsonian refused to let Frederick Douglass speak at an event due to his race. When Douglass was asked if he despaired for his country, he said “My hopes were never brighter.”

His optimism comes from his belief in America and in its institution, and in their ability to change. So today the Smithsonian is a very different institution: then it was in 1862. We have made great changes and can continue to do so. So today, I ask you to join me in sharing Douglass’s optimism for the future. To realize that we, the Smithsonian, can bring to the nation and the world, the richness of understanding, the resources to meet our challenges, and the courage to make lasting change for the benefit of humanity.

With your support, my hopes are never brighter than they are now.

Thank you for a day I will always treasure.

Lonnie G. Bunch III
Secretary
Smithsonian Institution

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