[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 18, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE WORK OF LONNIE G. BUNCH III

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 18, 2019

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Lonnie G. Bunch III in his 
new position as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, one of 
the highest positions in the museum world. He will be the 14th 
Secretary of the Smithsonian, responsible for 19 museums, nine research 
centers and the National Zoo, together employing 7,000 people with a 
$1.5 billion budget annually.
  On June 16th, Bunch will begin his tenure as Secretary, leaving his 
position as the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of 
African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). He is the ideal person 
to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the Smithsonian.
  Bunch is owed the lion's share of the credit for the creation of 
NMAAHC. What started as a broad mandate from Congress, one staff member 
and no collection, NMAAHC has grown to become one of the great gems in 
the nation's capital. NMAAHC has had over4 million visitors since its 
doors opened in 2016. Bunch's political and fundraising talents brought 
$270 million in federal money and $317 million in private donations for 
NMAAHC before it opened in 2016.
  Bunch began working for the Smithsonian in 1989. He spent 11 years At 
the National Museum of American History, where he worked, in part, as 
the museum's associate director for curatorial affairs. He left to work 
as the president of the Chicago Historical Society and later as the 
curator of history and program manager for the California African 
American Museum.
  As a student, he attended American University in Washington, D.C. and 
received his master's and bachelor's degrees in History. He will be the 
first historian to be Secretary of the Smithsonian. He is also the 
first African American to lead the Smithsonian in its 172-year history 
and the first museum director to be named Secretary in 74 years.
  Among Bunch's many accomplishments is writing various books, ranging 
from the black military experience to the American presidency to 
diversity in museum management. He has taught at several universities 
over the years, including American University and George Washington 
University, and has traveled both domestically and abroad for lectures 
and presentations.
  In 2002, Bunch was appointed by President George W. Bush to the 
Committee for the Preservation of the White House and reappointed by 
President Barack Obama in 2010. In 2005, he was named one of the most 
influential museum professionals of the 20th century by the American 
Association of Museums.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
recognizing Lonnie G. Bunch III for his many achievements and in 
congratulating him on his new role as the Secretary of the Smithsonian 
Institution.

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