Secretary, how many people here are associated with, in one form or another . Okay. How many people here, came to this organization as a child . Okay. How many think this is the most unifying organization in washington . Okay. laughs laughs applause we can all use a invitation, but nothing is good as smith near, nobody doesnt like smithsonian, because so much work you have done, let me just acknowledge for moment, about the reason we are here senator, and congresswoman, thank you very much for coming, let me acknowledge the presence off the regions, thank you very much for everything youve done, making this a very strong organization, i like to acknowledge the president of the museum, thank you for everything you have done, id like to thank all of you, who are otherwise connected to this organization and, come to this important historic event, we have 45 president s but, only 14 secretaries of this organization, so i will let you the judge which one is more important. But the people i like to recognize in front of me are a few people, some of you may not know but, hopefully you will get to see them today, two of them are daughters of the lonnie bunch, could they please stand up . Thank you applause thank you. And all the brother all lonnie bunch . applause and the most important person, the mother of lonnie bunch. Thank you very much. applause so we are all here today for an incredible event that, all of us have been waiting for sometime, installation of somebody we all love, well hear much more about him, from state case, my successor, i hope all of you will feel today, was a very historic day, for a lot of reasons, that will be apparent soon, all of you will feel, this is something, whoa worth your time to be here, now i like to have the academic procession began, with the national guard, on the guard bring them in. So i would like to thank our leaders, of smithsonian, for getting out of their academic accounts, if you have an academic cow, office, usually you only wear this, we advertised so everybody can see out there, so thank you for getting those out of your closets and are wearing them, and a final comment, now i think everybody knows, smithsonian is an unique institution, people anywhere in the United States and the people around the world, love it. Think about how it became existing, some of the you know, jim smith died and in his will, he left money to the United States to create, to create institution for the increase of defused whatever that meant, action it was the conventional story that was true, but whats in hes will with, this he left all his money, to his nephew. And only his nephew, did not have any children, will the money revert back to mr. Smiths state, and go to the United States for this institution. What is the likelihood, this nephew, only in the 20s at the time, will have no children . The nephew decided that this institution was more important than his having children, so he died with no children, to make sure this institution was kept alive, and started prospering, so i wanted to thank james smith and his nephew to make the start thank. You laughs applause please welcome, from the smithsonian, doctor eleanor harvey. applause good afternoon. On behalf of the over 6000 staff members, and equivalent member of volunteers an intern, for the smithsonian and situation, i offer you secretary lonnie bunch, a warm grating and our congratulations. Many of us know you some of us quite well as such we a great announcement of your appointment, as the 14th secretary with enthusiasm and joy, since this organization was officially led from within, your one of us. Over the course of your distinguished career, youve been the curator, a scholar and educator and administrator and a Museum Director with your background in the humanities, you bring a different perspective to the leadership of this organization one that spends many disciplines, and of the National Museum of the african history of culture a museum that brings together the arts history, and culture and the sciences, a kind of microcosm of the institution, its the breath of vision, that the fine smithsonian, and jim smith, and the desire to create diffusion and of knowledge, in various roles here, you have encountered all of us, from the leadership, to the curators, research scientists, historians, for the men and women, who protect collections, maintainability is and grounds at the multitude of people who support every department, in every location at every level. That provides you with a head start, with grappling of the complexity of this organization we hope the years, of the National Museum of history a, National Museum of african history of contralto, east the inevitable learning car, associated with your new position as secretary, because our enthusiastic support for you comes with high expectations. laughs i thought you might not like this. The smithsonian is more than the some of his parts, were the largest the museums, libraries and the Research Centers, we have expand from origins, the concept of one smithsonian, karen numb for the institution, is still a tantalizing version on the horizon. Together we have the capacity to harness our very strengths and provide unparalleled ability to fulfill the mandate we stand at the moment where truth or expertise are sometimes questioned. The smithsonian exists to champion those qualities. To uphold our missionto uphold our mission requires a shared commitment to use our reputation and resources to be a voice for knowledge, it is about envisioning a smithsonian that is more digital to reach more people in more places, more agile so we can experiment more frequently and get things done more the promise of that great african proverb, if you want to go fast, you can go alone. But if you want to go far, you must go together. Please welcome the vice chair, mr. Steve case. Good afternoon. applause applause i want to share a few perspective but, before i do that, i want to introduce one person, so awesome with these introduction, who skipped on one, its kind of an important one, and lonnie bunch was getting all squeamish in he seat, so i like all of you to give welcome somebody lonnie bunch met or 40 years ago, hes librarian. Stand up applause i am honored to serve at the next chair of this Great Institution, to be great to be part of the festivities today, as we officially install lonnie bunch as the new secretary of the organization, i look forward to work with secretary lonnie bunch in this, helping asha in and even more glorious future as he has set so well its all about balancing tradition and innovation a starts with celebrating this institutions amazing history, particularly as we has towards our 175th anniversary, its simply amazing about smithsonian, also about dreaming of new possibilities for the smithsonian, imagine an institution that could have greater reach, greater relevance, and a greater impact. It is about envisioning smithsonian thats more digital so we can reach more people in more places and more agile so we can experiment more frequently, and getting things done more quickly. And more collaborative so we can live up to the promise of the great amr african proverb, if you want to go fast you, go along, if you want to go far you must go together. Create an Institution Just like this great nation, the whole can be indeed greater than the sum of its parts. The three ideas coming together is the american women history, and effort to bring the whole full weight of the resources together, as one smithsonian to, tout the often hidden stories of the rose of women played in the country and the in the world. As we think about our next chapter, our gain our, aim is clear, to move this Great Institution forward, by creating a more virtuous smithsonian, a more entrepreneurial smithsonian, and more networked smithsonian. Some say, this expensive vision for smithsonian, is eight hat unrealistic suggesting it will be hard to move such a complex organization, with so Many Disparate parts and constituencies come into the future. But we will see about that. I am reminded just this week of the saga of the washington nationals. Just just six month ago, the experts said the nats had a one point 5 chance of winning the world series. In other words, a 98. 5 chance they would lose, but they beat the odds and won, and tomorrow the city will celebrate the natswillingness to stay in the fight entity what most thought was unachievable. Im also reminded that when lonnie bunch set out to build a new museum, he had no money, no collection and no site. Most people said it was a fools errand a fools errand, indeed, the title of his book. But lonnie didnt listen to douters, he assembled a coalition of the willing, believers, and moved forward, and that museum now sits proudly across the mall as a testament to the possibilities of the seemingly impossible. So the bottom line is this. There is no better person to help the smithsonian be more virtual, more agile, more collaborative, to lead the way forward and do the impossible, then lonnie bunch. Indeed, lonnie has the potential to be the most transformative secretary in smithsonian 175year history. Lonnie knows and loves the smithsonian and is loved and trusted by the 7000 people that make up the smithsonian. He is the perfect leader to strike the right balance, as we seek to celebrate what makes the smithsonian so special today, while we strive to lean into the future, creating the smithsonian of tomorrow. But as much as i have a tough act to follow succeeding David Rubenstein as chair in january, lonnie has a tough act to follow as well, succeeding david squarton. David put the Strategic Plan in place, leading a 1. 9 billion dollar capital campaign, and strengthening leadership of the smithsonian, in part by insisting on more inclusive recruiting efforts. David was a very strong advocate for lonnie to succeed him as secretary. The smithsonian board led by david conducted a very wide search, talking to hundreds of people, but ultimately we landed were david predicted we would, selecting lonnie bunch as the next secretary. We were sorry to see david leave us but also grateful for his service to this event sony and in the country, and also thankful that he only moved across the mall. So we still get to see him from time to time, including this afternoon. So please join me in welcoming back the 13th secretary of the smithsonian, david jace gorton. applause speaking of a fools errand lonnie, they told me i was supposed to talk about what it takes to make a secretary of the smithsonian. I feel silly, but i will tell you what i think anyway. The number one thing it takes to be secretary of the smithsonian is love. Love of learning, love of inquiry, love of the truth, love of staff, love of the willingness to look beyond what we think we know right now. It also takes humility. Folks, i hope you dont mind im only talking to lonnie here. Lonnie, the staff will keep you humble and if there are days when the staff doesnt get the job done, the reagents will jump right in. It also takes enormous curiosity. It takes unending, on unslakeable thirst for knowledge, and alwayseable thirst for knowledge, and always wondering the answer to the next question. There is never a final answer to anything. There is only a slight journey a half a step to the next question. Courage is important. As was mentioned, we are in an age right now where there is some decrying of the facts and science and the truth. And lonnie, one of your many, many terriric attributes for this job is that you have never shirked from finding the truth, sharing the truth and being motivated by the truth. I want to go back to the issue about love. As David Rubenstein said eloquently, as he always does about everything, the smithsonian is in fact a unifying presence, not just for the city of washington or new york or other places we have professionals, but for the whole country. All of our differences, all our various stripes go away once people cross our thresholds. And you have done, and the various parts of this smithsonian you have served so well and led, done a terrific job of making sure that when people cross that threshold, they know they are in for Straight Talk and truth, and some love as well. That was the first question. The second question was, they said please do the proverbial passing of the baton remarks. I looked through the collection of 150 5 million objects, and there is no baton that is supposed to go from secretary to secretary. I thought about this and asked my wife, and she said, it is just figurative, you idiot. So figuratively speaking, im going to pass the baton to you. I have had great joy of passing batons to people in many different positions i have held over decades. I have never had an easier want to pass than the one i am passing today. Lonnie, you are the genuine article, and i do actually believe, i think you know this i mean this sincerely, i think he will be the standout secretary of the 14. I believe you will get it done, you are the genuine article, and we are so, so lucky and happy to have you here. Consider the baton passed. I want to get applause something off my chest. I have the floor, so there isnt much you can do but listen. It has to do with charlie young, music director of the smithsonian jazz masterworks orchestra. Charlie asked me when i first became secretary to sit in with the group. I rehearsed with him for one hour before the performance. He gave me two numbers to play, i played the first one, did the solo, said, charlie, what do you think . Charlie is a teacher, a professor. He said, yeah, you did fine, like that. I did the second one and i said, how did i do, charlie . And he said, how did i do, charlie . And he said, well, the performances tomorrow. Lets put it this way. You keep practicing, we will pray for a miracle. That is exactly what he said, charlie has apparently lost my cell phone number, because he has not called me back to appear with them. Charlie, it is and besides your difficult attitude, you are my hero as a music director and alto sax player. It is an honor for me to introduce the septet. Worldclass collections, scholarship, concerts, exhibitions and programs, the smithsonian jazz masterworks orchestra explores and celebrates the American Experience through the transformative power of one of the real, original art forms to come from this country, and that is jazz. Jazz is a very important bridge between our nations identity, our shared history, and our communities. And we are committed to our communities. And we are committed to stewarding this connection for all audiences. I hope this is accurate, charlie, but i have been told the performance will be hearing, charlie, but i have been told the performance will be gregory is here, members of the smithsonian jazz masterworks orchestra. Enjoy it. music music music music applause some of you may be wondering how you get to be selected as secretary of the smithsonian. Anybody here wonder about that . Some of you may be saying 25 years from now, maybe i would like to be secretary of the smithsonian. How does he get selected . I cant tell you what will happen in 25 years when lonnie is probably finished in 25 years being secretary, and let me tell you how we selected lonnie. My successor is an extraordinarily wellqualified person to be chair of the smithsonian board. Steve has been a terrific regent diane terrific regent and i appreciate his willingness to step into this role. It is a highly paid position. And there are no challenges to it. Steve, thank you for doing it. My hair was completely dark when i took that position. What happened was, we had a Search Committee, and i want to make sure people know howhow this came about. We had a Search Committee. Steve, as my likely successor, i thought we should chair it because we were leaders of the Smithsonian Institution, but we had a very Diverse Group of 11 people on the committee. How many people on the Search Committee are here . Raise your hand. Thank you for your service on the Search Committee. We met many, many times he and steves office and liked doing it because he served very good food and we gained a little weight. But we interviewed many good people, outstanding people. And almost anybody we interviewed could do a reasonably good job, but it was clear lonnie was the best. Everything he had done before in his career was terrific. There was one problem. The problem was, his wife worked at the smithsonian. And he always told me his wife was the boss. So how could lonnie be secretary of the smithsonian and be boss of all the employees there, if his wife was the boss . We debated that and decided that lonnie could be the boss and his wife could be the boss most of the time. Thank you for what you have done. For those who are not that familiar with the smithsonian, we have nine citizen regents and six congressional regents. But we also have the Vice President of the United States and a chief justice of the United States, and the chief justice serves as a chancellor and is really in control. There are no 54 votes among the nine. Everything is unanimous. When the chief says, this is what he wants done, we recognize he has ultimate authority. And we are pleased. The chief justice of the United States, i always look up to the chief justice looked up to the chief justice when i was younger. I got disappointed when the chief justice was younger than me, which john roberts is, what i look up is, what i look up to the chief justice, he is an extraordinary legal talent. In any generation there is an extraordinarily extraordinary legal talent that comes along, summa laude at harvard, harvard law review editor, a clerk for judge friendly on the second circuit, one of the finest judges of his generation, clerked for Justice Rehnquist on the supreme court, worked at the justice department, white house, d. C. Court of appeals, and picked at the age of 50 to be chief justice of the United States. And taking his responsibilities very seriously, he comes to every single meeting he is supposed to, runs the meeting, and could not be a better chancellor. We are privileged to have him serve as chancellor. I would tell you will tell you when the story. I did an interview of the chief in front of members of congress and asked, did you always want to be chief justice of the United States . He said, when i was growing up, i didnt think about it. And did you want to be justice of the court at all . Did you want to be a judge of any type . No. What about a lawyer . No, i didnt want to be a lawyer either. Well, what did you want to be . I wanted to be a historian. All i cared about was history. My father said, john, that is nice and you will read a lot of books people probably wont read, lead a may be very boring life. Are you sure you want to be a historian . And he said, that is what i care about, history. John went off to harvard college, which he graduated from in three years. While he was there, he came back for spring break one time and landed at Logan Airport in boston and said in the cab drive, said to the cabdriver, can you take me to cambridge . The cabdriver said, are you a student at harvard . Yes im. What are you majoring in . Majoring in history. The cabdriver said, when i was a student in harvard, that is what i majored in also. So john thought maybe his father had some good ideas there. He did state as a history major, but he as a history major, but he didnt he did think law may be might be a good profession. Our countries much better off for his having been a lawyer and a great justice of the super court. He would have been a great historian as well, but it is my privilege and honor to introduce the 17th chief justice of the United States, john roberts. Chief Justice Roberts thank you, very much. I think i would have been a good cab driver too. Lonnie bunch, at the opening of the africanamerican museum of history and culture, scheduled me to give remarks after a musical performance by stevie wonder. Apparently, this is an ongoing tradition with lonnie, to appear after a very moving musical presentation. Let me add my welcome to all the members of the smithsonian community. It is an honor to be here. The installation ceremony today is our formal recognition of the Smithsonian Institutions new secretary an individual secretary, an individual who has made the institution his calling and his home. Lonnie bunch earned the title of secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by rising to the ranks of museum professionals, including three prior stents at the smithsonian, first as an educational profession educational specialist, then as a curator at the museum of africanAmerican History, and most recently as founding director and driving before us behind the reagent of National Museum of africanAmerican History and culture. Lonnie has earned renown for his tireless work in creating that special place on the mall, a place with a high purpose of telling stories of the africanAmerican Experience that all americans need to know. Lonnie has grown accustomed to referring to the africanAmerican History and Culture Museum is simply, the museum, an understandable habit, and one i know he is trying to break now that his responsibilities reach many museums in addition to that special place. And now it is important to recognize that lonnie brings to the secretarys office handson experience in the daytoday work of employees throughout the smithsonian, employees who are the foundation of the institutions success. We all know that lonnie has already done much to further the smithsonians mission for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Today he receives the reward for his tireless and successful hard work, a call from the regents that he do more. By unanimous vote we have placed our trust in lonnie g. Bunch iii to be the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Secretary bunch, i have the privilege of presenting you with a ceremonial key. Prior secretaries have held this key intern key in turn, as each secretary labored to make the smithsonian greater still. I know the key will have significance for you. I have heard the story of how, when you were appointed to lead the creation of the new museum, you went to inspect your office space and found the door locked. Through the applied force of your new jersey ingenuity and a borrowed crowbar, you managed to open that door. I am sure you have relied on your determination and Life Experience to figuratively open many doors, for yourself and others. Our hope is that this key will remind you that we are entrusting you, like your distinguished predecessors, with the responsibility to open the smithsonians doors to new visitors, to new ways of visiting the smithsonian, to new learning, to new ideas. And perhaps the key will also remind you that if you find any doors locked, please just call the building manager. We will charge you for any damage. And we join you with pleasure and great anticipation on a continuing journey forward toward an even stronger, more vibrant and engaging Smithsonian Institution. Congratulations, mr. Secretary. applause applause man, this is a long way from jersey. Just want to make sure you all know, i am not ralph bunch. Dear colleagues, members of the board of regents, distinguished guests, and that rowdy group of my cousins over there, thank you all for joining us, joining me to share this special moment. There is no place i love more than the smithsonian. Let me thank chief Justice Roberts, chancellor of the smithsonian. You have been a fervent supporter of this institution, and your study leadership has made us stronger. Thank you so much for that. To members of the board of regents, i am humbled and think for for your confidence and support, and for entrusting me with this amazing institution at what i believe is a time of great possibility. While this is a time that we should look forward, as a historian i cant help but think back and revel in the memories of the events and the people that have shaped this journey. I think so much about a trip my family took, going to visit my mothers family from new jersey to her family in North Carolina in the mid1960s, when everybody was celebrating the centennial of the civil war. As we passed museums and battle sites in virginia and North Carolina, i begged my father to stop, but he had kept driving, we had to get gas. On the way back, i asked him to stop again, and he just found reasons not to. And rather than go straight home, we turned into washington dc. He pulled in front of the smithsonian, and he said to me, you could visit the smithsonian and not worry about being turned away for the color of your skin. I have never forgotten that moment, which told me the smithsonian was a special place, that the smithsonian and not worry about smithsonian was a sight of knowledge and education, that the smithsonian was a place that welcomed all to learn, to marvel, to marvel, to imagine, an institution where anyone, regardless of who they were, could become something more than who they had been. I could never have imagined that a temporary job that was only supposed to last six months at the national air and space museum would lead me to a calling and a career. I was fortunate to work with so many gifted colleagues at the museum of American History and be part of the team to found the National Museum of africanAmerican History and culture. But i am at a loss, i am humbled at this moment, this combination of this unexpected and this culmination of this unexpected and unlikely journey. Who would believe, i worked for six secretaries, and now i am one . In the early days, i never even knew the smithsonian had a secretary. It is really humbling to be here. And obviously, my wife maria, who knew more about museums than i ever will, and especially my mother. Mom, thank you for being here, who taught me to believe not only in myself, but to believe in this country. I am at this moment because of the many amazing colleagues here at the institution who mentor to me, who challenged me, who embraced me. I recognize i am standing on the shoulders of too many people whose names i cant mention, but i am standing on the shoulders of people like solomon brown, who was here in the 19th century as an africanamerican, working for almost 50 years as at the smithsonian. I stand on the shoulders of john cu nard john john cunard, and lou parnell, one of the first curators of the air museum. And i am here because of someone who knew nothing about museums, and hired them. And i am here because of my dear friend, the 13th secretary of the smithsonian, dr. David skorton. Thank you, david. A long and proud history undergirds the smithsonian. As a historian, i appreciate the weight of this legacy. We must never be trapped by our traditions, the smithsonian has always been a forwardlooking institution, a site to shape, capture and share innovation with our audiences. We supported early spare mentation and rocketry. We developed the forerunner for the National Weather service. We helped the nation understand and celebrate its bicentennial. And celebrate its bicentennial. We worked to save coral reefs, and recently captured the firstever image of a black hole. I am deeply proud of this legacy, but i am even prouder about the work that has yet that is yet to come. I have always been moved, impressed by the productivity of my colleagues, from our worldclass exhibitions and collections, from our pioneering environmental and scientific research, to our preservation of Cultural Heritage and our innovative education and audiencedriven initiatives. It is an impressive portfolio. But imagine our impact if we worked as one smithsonian, that allowed us to rise above our silos to find common, collaborative ground that amplified our impact. I was struck during a recent visit to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Laboratory in cambridge, that wonderfully powerful image of the black hole was only made possible i collaborative effort to get telescopes from countries around the world pointed for a single moment on a single issue, to be able to create that image. I want the smithsonian to have those laser focuslike moments to allow us to leverage our assets, capitalize on our strengths and rethink our possibilities, and work to be that evolving, innovative, 21st century institution. When we value the contributions from every corner, when we use our resources to the fullest potential, man, we are so transformed. Add through the transformation and through that transformation, the smell of sin transformation, the smell of sin the smithsonian can have greater relevance and a more profound impact that is such a great part of our Strategic Plan. I echo something steve said. It is essential we develop the virtual smithsonian that complements and amplifies our collection, our expertise, our expertise, our collections, in a way that was unimaginable just a few years ago. Through this robust digital strategy, we should aim to touch every home and be in every school in america. Everyone should have the opportunity to explore the wonder of the smithsonian, and even if they never come to washington, that shouldnt be a barrier. We should be much more aggressive and strategic in using important resources like the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition service, and the wonderful partners we have through the affiliates program. Thus the smithsonian moving forward virtually and traditionally, can reach millions. It is important that we continue our efforts to make the smithsonian even more relevant in a world full of of this vastly evolving world. We can make great contributions in education, marrying Digital Access coupled with strong educational programmatic offerings housed in our museums and Research Centers. We can contribute mightily to the challenge of providing equal and effective education to all our children. I have been moved by things we already do, by the smithsonian learning lab, where teachers can find the resources to allow them to create and curate their own materials. And im intrigued by the collaboration with the district of columbia public schools, that will become believe the smithsonian will always be a place of lifelong learning, but we must contribute everything we can to improve the lot of those kids from p from prek to 12. We must find ways to use our expertise to ignite wonder and spark the joy of learning. In the last two months, i have been asked, what do i envision for the smithsonian . The key to our success will be if we we, and i emphasize we, if we come of smithsonian, can build on this legacy to become an institution that this country deserves and needs. We, the smithsonian, will be a Research Driven audience centered institution committed to contributing to the greater good. We will be the hub of learning and innovation that will bring together Diverse Voices to grapple with contemporary challenges of today. This will be the place that america looks to to understand itself, their history and their world. We must be the glue that holds the nation together. We, the smithsonian, must become much more comfortable working outside of our silos, reaching across museums and Research Center boundaries to maximize our creativity and impact. We must be a more nimble organization that embraces innovation as the key to understanding the 21st century. We must strike the balance between tradition and innovation, using technology to expand our reach and vision that we are to reach places we have yet to imagine. We must be open and accessible. We must be an institution that allows every that allows every person, regardless of race, age, gender, background or ability to experience the wonders and joys of this smithsonian. The smithsonian. We will be an institution that makes we will be venerated and valued for our contributions to the community and nation we serve. Let me and as i began, by looking back. In 1852, the smithsonian refused to let Frederick Douglass speak in the smithsonian. When he was asked, did he despair for this country, for the racial issues that divided us, he said, my hopes were never brighter. His optimism came from a belief in america america, in their institutions, and most importantly, in their ability to change. Today, we are here speaking in a place as an africanamerican where Frederick Douglass could not speak, but we are a different institution. We have made great changes and continue to do so. Nothing is impossible. I ask you today, to join me in sharing his optimism for the future. To realize that we, the smithsonian, can bring to the nation and to the world the richness of understanding, the resources to meet our challenges, and the courage to make lasting change for the benefit of humanity. With your support, as douglas wrote, my hopes are never brighter than they are now. Thank you all for a day i will treasure. Thank you for trusting me in the institution we all love. Thank you so much. applause please welcome member of the board of regents executive committee. Good afternoon. The first time i met lonnie, it was obvious he had not only vision, but the knowing of the why and how our people should celebrate its people. You probably dont remember, but we met at least the construction site for the National Museum for the africanAmerican History and culture. In the trailer that used to be the gate. It was a rainy, cold morning. You probably we all put on hardhats to walk through the museum, stepping over cords and makeshift flooring as we listen to lonnie tell us about the various artifacts he had collected. It was clear to me that he had a vision not only of where they would be placed, but cords and makeshift be placed, but a reverence for them and for the people that had represented those artifacts. Wewe were enthralled to listen to you as you described how you are particularly excited about the Southern Railway car that was soon to arrive right from renovation and was going to be seated right where we would explore segregation. Where we would explore segregation. The rest of the museum on that day, this small group got to see and experience your vision and a bit of you. Just is much larger group as this much larger group has got to see your vision today. We also got to hear why he saw the smithsonian to be the very heart and soul of this country. I must say, as we are sitting here, this venue is a little more comfortable than that venue was at that time. The smithsonian tells the stories of our ancestors. Whether our ancestors are from millions of years ago, thousands of years ago, a few hundred years ago, or just a few generations ago. Its tries to tell the stories of all of our ancestors. The stories he wants to hear, as well as the stories you often tell us we need to hear. Its all of those its all of those stories that have gotten us to where we are today. In his book, secretary bunch describes hearing this from a man in a houston airport as he completed his ritual of getting his shoes shined before he got on the plane. On that day, this man, who had just signed his shoes, gave him a donation of nine dollars, and instructions to tell the story of his ancestors in a way that would make him proud and all of us proud. Lonnie has a vision for the smithsonian that it will strengthen the connections and respect that all of us have for one another. As people, he is doing that by invoking and exploring the connections and respect between us through the arts and humanities, just as museums have done over time. Without those connections and respect, it is difficult to use the science, history, knowledge, the very tools of the smithsonian to converse and confront difficult issues of the day. The best part of the smithsonian and lonnie gets this, it is the power to inspire and spark curiosity and all of us, but especially our children. You heard him talk about the impact the smithsonian had on him as a child. I get this. It has become a tradition for me and my family, for my grand daughter and me, to spend her spring break here at the smithsonian, with thousands of other energetic, enthusiastic and loud children. Its a wonderful experience. I always leave exhausted. But also, hopeful about the future. Lonnie knows how to harness this hopefulness along with an eloquence and a compassion that motivates us all to continuously make the institution better. Lonnie, you are now officially installed as the leader of the entire smithsonian. Let me close with a quote from one of my favorite books. It is called bless this space between us. Bless this space between us. They are it is a group of poems that address every aspect of our lives. This has to do with leadership. May the gift of leadership awakening you and keep you mindful of the providence that has called you to serve. As high over the mountains as the eagle spreads its wings, may your perspective the larger than the foothills. May you have the wisdom to read the time clearly and know when the seed of change will flourish. May leadership be for you a true journey of joy and growth. Congratulations, mr. Secretary. In the now, please join me in welcoming back to the stage, please remain standing for the retrieval of the colors by the smithsonian honor guard and academic recession. Running with a harmony ring with a harmony of liberty let our rejoice sing high let it resound loud as the roaring sea sing a song full of the faith our dark past has taught us sing us a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of a new day begun let us march on until victory is one won you have brought up far on our way led us into the night keep us forever in the path, we pray lest our feet stray from the places where we met the thee bless our heartsbless our hearts drunk with the wine of the world shadows beneath thy hand may we forever understand true to our god true to our native land music true to our music music Smithsonian Institution officially involved introduced its involved introduced its new secretary today. Even though lonnie bunch has been leading the agency since june, overseeing