Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III
Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian. He assumed his position June 16, 2019. As Secretary, he oversees 21 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, numerous research centers, and several education units and centers. Two new museums—the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum—are in development. Bunch was the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. He chronicled the creation of the museum in his book, A Fool’s Errand: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump, and is the first historian to be Secretary of the Institution. In 2021, he received France’s highest award, The Legion of Honor.
General Inquiries
For general inquiries to the Secretary's Office, please email or call:
SmithsonianSecretary@si.edu
202-633-1846
Media Inquiries
For media queries and interview requests, please contact: Smithsonianmedia@si.edu
Requests for the Secretary's Time
The following forms are to be used when requesting the Secretary's time for an event, meeting or travel:
Please contact the Secretary's office at SmithsonianSecretary@si.edu or 202-633-1846 with any questions about or to submit requests for the Secretary's time.