Smithsonian Institution Archives

Lonnie G. Bunch Papers, 1952-2010

Summary

Collection ID:
SIA.FA19-200
Creators:
Bunch, Lonnie G.
Dates:
1952-2010
Languages:
English
Physical Description:
26.07 cu. ft. (24 record storage boxes) (3 16x20 boxes)
Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives

Descriptive Entry

Descriptive Entry
The Lonnie G. Bunch Papers include both personal materials and professional records from the various institutions that he worked at as well as his teaching positions. The personal materials include family correspondence, family history records, and photographs. In relation to his teaching positions there are course syllabi, reading lists, notes, course examinations, notebooks, course proposals, lectures, bibliographies, and class evaluations. From his work at the National Air and Space Museum, the California Afro-American Museum, the National Museum of American History, the Chicago Historical Society, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture there is correspondence; memoranda; grant proposals; exhibition records such as brochures, invitations, catalogs, clippings, press releases, press kits, photographs, oral history recordings on audiocassettes, oral history transcripts, scripts, object lists, educational materials, floor plans, architectural drawings, research and meeting notes, evaluations, and ephemera; conference presentations; professional association records; journal articles; book and exhibition reviews; and other related materials. Some materials are in electronic format.
Significant exhibitions documented from the California Afro-American Museum include Allensworth: An Enduring Dream, The Black Olympians: 1904-1984, and Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950; significant exhibitions documented from the National Museum of America History include: The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, Smithsonian's America: An Exhibition of American History and Culture, and Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th-Century America.

Historical Note

Historical Note
Born in the Newark, New Jersey area, Lonnie G. Bunch received his bachelor's (1974) and Master's (1975) degrees from American University in Washington, D.C.
After receiving his Master's, Bunch was an Adjunct Lecturer at American University from 1976-1978. From January 1978 to May 1979 Bunch was an Education Specialist at the National Air and Space Museum. He resumed teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, as an Assistant Professor of American and Afro-American History from June 1979 to August 1981. After that he was a Historian and Teacher at the Packer Collegiate Institute from September 1981 to June 1983.
Moving over to the west coast, Bunch became curator of History and Program Manager at the California Afro-American Museum in Los Angeles from 1983-1989. While at the museum, Bunch organized several award-winning exhibitions such as The Black Olympians, 1904-1984 and Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950. In addition to his work on exhibitions, Bunch also produced several historical documentaries for public television.
In 1989 Bunch headed back east to become an Adjunct Professor of Museum Studies at George Washington University before beginning his tenure at the National Museum of American History (NMAH) in that same year. Bunch was the Senior Curator of Political History at the museum until 1992 when he became the Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs, 1992-1994, and then Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, 1994-2000. His tenure at NMAH saw him managing curatorial and collections management staff as well as working on major exhibitions such as The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden and Smithsonian's America: An Exhibition of American History and Culture for the American Festival Japan in 1994.
Bunch left the museum to become the president of the Chicago Historical Society (CHS) in 2001. While at CHS, Bunch led a successful capital campaign to transform the CHS in anticipation of its 150th anniversary, initiated various outreach initiatives to diverse communities around Chicago, as well as helped open numerous exhibitions.
In July 2005 Bunch came back to the Smithsonian to become the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). As director of NMAAHC, Bunch guided the museum and its staff to build the 400,000 square foot museum near the Washington Monument as well as develop a collection of some 40,000 objects that explore, document and exemplify the African American story and its influence on American and world history.
On June 16, 2019 it was announced that Bunch would be the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He was installed as Secretary on November 1, 2019.
As an author, Bunch has written widely on topics including the black military experience, the American presidency, the African American experience in the American West, diversity in museum management, and the influence of funding and politics on American museums.
Bunch has served on the advisory boards of the American Alliance of Museums and the American Association for State and Local History. Additionally, he was appointed to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House in 2002 by President George W. Bush and reappointed by President Barack Obama in 2010.

Administration

Author
Finding aid prepared by Smithsonian Institution Archives

Using the Collection

Prefered Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 19-200, Lonnie G. Bunch Papers

More Information

Notes

Personal Papers


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Bunch, Lonnie G. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chicago Historical Society Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
California Afro-American Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Air and Space Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American University (Washington, D.C.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
George Washington University Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Packard Collegiate Institute Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Alliance of Museums Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Association for State and Local History Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Committee for the Preservation of the White House Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. President (2001-2009 : Bush) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. President (2009-2017 : Obama) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
The Black Olympians, 1904-1950 (Exhibition) (1984-1985: Los Angeles, Calif.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950 (Exhibition) (1988-1989: Los Angeles, Calif.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden (Exhibition) (2000- : Washington, D.C.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden (Traveling exhibition) (2002-2006) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Smithsonian's America: An Exhibition of American History and Culture (Exhibition) (1994: Chiba, Japan) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Allensworth: An Enduring Dream (Exhibition) (1987: Los Angeles, Calif.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th-Century America (Exhibition) (1999-2012: Washington, D.C.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum directors Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum curators Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum exhibits Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Traveling exhibitions Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums -- Political aspects Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums -- Public relations Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums -- Social aspects Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Public history -- United States Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums -- Educational aspects Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Historical museums Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Historians Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Social history Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African Americans -- History Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Teaching Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums -- Administration Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American soldiers Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum finance Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Presidents -- United States -- History Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States -- Race relations Place Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States -- Armed Forces -- African Americans Place Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
West (U.S.) -- Social life and customs $y 19th century Place Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newark (N.J.) Place Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Books Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brochures Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manuscripts Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newsletters Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pamphlets Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Electronic records Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Floppy disks Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Compact discs Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Electronic mail Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architectural drawings Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Floor plans Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white negatives Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white photographs Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Color negatives Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Color photographs Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiotapes Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Motion pictures (visual works) Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Videotapes Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Smithsonian Institution Archives
Washington, D.C.
Contact us at osiaref@si.edu