Smithsonian Secretary Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III
In a message to staff sent Friday morning, Smithsonian Secretary Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III acknowledged the executive order while emphasizing the institution's commitment to scholarly independence.
"As an Institution, our commitment to scholarship and research is unwavering and will always serve as the guiding light for our content," Bunch wrote in the memo. "Late yesterday, the White House issued a presidential Executive Order (EO) related to cultural institutions including the Smithsonian."
The executive order specifically tasks Vice President Vance, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents, with working alongside the board on content-related matters. The exact parameters of this oversight were not detailed in Bunch's communication.
Bunch, who has led the Smithsonian since 2019 and previously served as the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, stressed that the institution would maintain its established review processes.
"We will continue to showcase world-class exhibits, collections, and objects, rooted in expertise and accuracy," Bunch wrote. "We will continue to employ our internal review processes which keep us accountable to the public. When we err, we adjust, pivot, and learn as needed."
The Smithsonian's leadership structure includes a 17-member Board of Regents consisting of the Chief Justice of the United States, the Vice President, six members of Congress, and nine citizens. This governance model has remained largely unchanged throughout the institution's 178-year history.
"As we have done throughout our history, the Smithsonian will work with the Board of Regents, including the Chief Justice, Vice President, and our congressional and citizen Regents," Bunch noted, adding that the board "understands and appreciates the Institution's mission, as well as the importance of scholarship, expertise, and service to the American public."
The executive order comes amid growing national debates about cultural institutions and their presentation of American history. The Smithsonian, which comprises 21 museums, the National Zoo, and numerous research centers, receives approximately 70 percent of its funding from the federal government.
Bunch concluded his message by reaffirming the Smithsonian's core mission.
"For more than 175 years, the Smithsonian has been an educational institution devoted to continuous learning with the public in mind and driven by our most important mission – the increase and diffusion of knowledge," he wrote. "We remain committed to telling the multi-faceted stories of this country's extraordinary heritage."
The White House has not released additional details about the executive order or its implementation timeline.
