Over more than four decades, Lonnie G. Bunch III has shaped museums and public history at the highest levels, with a career spanning across America from the Chicago History Museum and the California African American Museum to the Smithsonian. From creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture to leading the Smithsonian Institution as its 14th Secretary, Lonnie has transformed the public’s understanding of the power of museums.

As founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Lonnie guided one of the most ambitious museum projects in American history from vision to reality. Throughout his career, he challenged museums to tell fuller stories, engage broader audiences, and embrace the responsibilities that come with public trust.

His impact on AAM spans decades. As a member of AAM’s Board of Directors, Accreditation Commission, advisory bodies, author, thought leader, and co-chair of the Facing Change initiative, Lonnie helped shape conversations that continue to influence our field today.

In 2005, AAM named him one of the 100 most influential museum professionals of the twentieth century. The decades that followed only reinforced that distinction.

Lonnie’s legacy cannot be measured solely by the museums he led or the honors he received. It lives in the countless museum professionals he inspired, the stories he helped preserve and elevate, and the stronger museum field he helped build.

Just as remarkable as his accomplishments are the qualities that defined his leadership: intellectual brilliance, unwavering integrity, genuine warmth, and a gift for bringing people together around a shared purpose. Few museum leaders have so profoundly shaped the stories museums tell, the audiences they serve, and the role they play in American life. We are grateful for his partnership, inspired by his example, and certain that his leadership and influence will continue to resonate across the museum field for generations to come.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

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Press Contact:

Natanya Khashan
media@aam-us.org