Lonnie Bunch knows a thing or two about history, and he’s made a fair bit of it himself. Bunch earned a Ph.D. in African American history from American University while working as an adjunct lecturer. He went on to hold numerous teaching positions.
In 2019, Bunch was named secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, becoming the first African American and first historian in the position. As secretary, he oversees 20 museums and the National Zoo as well as several libraries and research centers. Earlier this month, Bunch announced he’ll be stepping down from the position at the end of the year.
Bunch joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss his career and what’s next. On his retirement:
Bunch started his career at the Smithsonian Institution at the National Air and Space Museum in 1978. He took on a new role with the institution in 2005 to lead the development of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was completed in 2016. “I always want to be there to help the Smithsonian, protect the Smithsonian, support the Smithsonian, so it’s really with mixed emotions that I’m leaving,” Bunch said. “But also, after almost 40 years, it’s time.”
On his work in Chicago: Before returning to the Smithsonian to lead the development of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bunch worked as the president and director of the Chicago Historical Society, now known as the Chicago History Museum. “Chicago’s the best, there’s no doubt about it,” Bunch said. “Chicago taught me how to be a better fundraiser, how to be a better leader, it was my first time running a museum. So I give a lot of credit to the city of Chicago, to the way this city embraced me, taught me about history and basically said, ‘You’ve got good ideas, let’s try ‘em.’”
On what’s next: “I want to help museums around the world tell the stories they want to tell,” Bunch said. “I’ll probably do a little teaching at some university that may wanna hire me. But the real joy is, I want to spend time with my grandkids that live in Chicago. So that’s really the key for me, spending more time in Chicago.”
