The HistoryMakers

Historian and educator Lonnie G. Bunch was born November 18, 1952, in Newark, New Jersey. After graduating from Belleville High School in 1970, Bunch enrolled in Howard University and later transferred to the American University in Washington, D.C. Bunch stayed at American, earning a B.A. degree in 1974, an M.A. degree in 1976 and a Ph.D. in 1979. His degrees are in American and African American history.

While working on his doctorate, Bunch went to work for the Smithsonian Institution as an educator and historian. After earning his Ph.D., he took a position with the University of Massachusetts as a professor of history, and remained there until 1983. Crossing the country, Bunch became the founding curator of the California African American Museum in Los Angeles in 1983, and he remained there until 1989. From there Bunch went on to become the associate director for curatorial affairs at the National Museum of American History, a position he retained until 2000. In 2001, Bunch became the president of the Chicago Historical Society, one of the oldest history museums in the nation.

Bunch has published numerous books and magazine articles on topics ranging from African American history to cultural experiences in Japan. Bunch serves as a trustee of the American Association of Museums and the Council of the American Association of State & Local History, and he is a member of the American Antiquarian Society. Recently, Bunch has been appointed by President George W. Bush to the Commission for the Preservation of the White House. Bunch and his wife, Maria, live in the suburbs of Chicago.

Bunch was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on September 5, 2003.

Selected Bibliography
Bunch, Lonnie G. The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.
———. Black Angelenos: The African American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950. 1989.