The New Head of the Smithsonian Thinks Americans Can Find a Middle Ground in Museums

The 14th secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie G. Bunch III, on his new job, the value of pandas and how to make the past personal

You've said you can tell a lot about a place by what it deems worth preserving. What does the Smithsonian say about America?

When I started in '89 at [the National Museum of] American History, the collections reflected a 1950s interpretation of America--great men or women.

The 14th secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie G. Bunch III, on his new job, the value of pandas and how to make the past personal You've said you can tell a lot about a place by what it deems worth preserving. What does the Smithsonian say about America? When I started in '89 at [the National Museum of] American History, the collections reflected a 1950s interpretation of America--great men or women.