Lonnie Bunch III will leave his post as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by the end of the year, he announced Tuesday, ending a tenure that placed him at the center of a political fight over how America tells its own history.
Bunch, 73, is the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian and the first Black person and the first historian to lead it. He has worked at the institution for 38 years and has served as its top official since 2019.
A historian in a political storm
Before leading the whole institution, Bunch was the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened on the National Mall in 2016.
In a statement, Bunch said he leaves with mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude. He called the Smithsonian one of the great loves of his life and said he has enormous confidence in the people who will carry the institution forward.
Pressure from the White House
The announcement comes after months of escalating criticism from the Trump administration. The White House has pushed for changes at the Smithsonian, including an executive order in March that called for removing what it described as improper ideology from the institution's museums and programs.
Administration officials also sent a letter on August 28 warning that federal agencies may stop working with the Smithsonian unless its leadership changes. The letter cited a report that accused the institution of moving toward what it called extreme political activism.
Bunch said in interviews that his retirement was not related to that pressure.
What happens next
The Smithsonian's Board of Regents will lead the search for a new secretary, a process likely to renew debate over the institution's direction.
Senator Alex Padilla of California, whose committee oversees Smithsonian matters, said the institution's independence must be defended. He said he expects the Regents and Congress to make sure Bunch's work is not undone.
The Smithsonian operates 21 museums and the National Zoo and receives federal funding each year, which gives the White House and Congress leverage over its operations.