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# Installation Ceremony for Lonnie G. Bunch III

> 
“We will be the place Americans look to understand themselves, their history, and their world. We must be the glue that helps to hold the country together.” — ⁦‪Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III on the future of the Smithsonian. 

Lonnie G. Bunch III was installed as the Fourteenth Secretary of the Smithsonianon November 1, 2019 in the historic Arts and Industries Building. 

### Secretaries of the Smithsonian

Secretary Bunch is the first African American and the first historian to hold the Smithsonian’s highest office. Read about the fourteen individuals who have led the Institution since 1846.

Learn more aboutSecretaries of the Smithsonian

### Welcoming the Secretaries

During the ceremony, the Secretary is presented with a ceremonial brass key that once opened one of the massive oak doors of the Smithsonian Castle. To celebrate the installation of our new Secretary, a look at installations past.

Learn more aboutWelcoming the Secretaries

## Ceremonial Symbols

Smithsonian Mace
Commissioned in 1964 to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of the Smithsonian’s benefactor, James Smithson, the mace is constructed of gold and silver and includes Smithsonite, a mineral Smithson identified.

Smithsonian Badge of Office
Made of 18-carat gold, the medallion features the owl of Athena, a symbol of wisdom, and an olive branch, a symbol of peace and goodwill.

Ceremonial Key
The tradition of passing the Smithsonian key to the incoming Secretary originated with the 1964 induction of S. Dillon Ripley as the eighth Secretary of the Smithsonian. The large brass key dates to the mid-19th century. 

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@SmithsonianSec
Follow Secretary Bunch on Twitter.

National Book Tour
Lonnie G. Bunch III embarks on a national tour to discuss his new memoir *A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump*.

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