Event Detail

On December 4, 2023, the National Archives Foundation will honor American educator and historian Lonnie G. Bunch III with the prestigious Records of Achievement Award. Bunch, now Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, is being recognized for his commitment to preserving and chronicling our history, and for his dedication to amplifying the history and the stories of African Americans. The event will be held at the National Archives in Washington, DC with Mr. Bunch, who will be interviewed by renowned author, journalist, and radio host Michele Norris.

The Records of Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by the National Archives Foundation to an individual whose contributions have fostered a broader national awareness of the history and heritage of the United States as exemplified in the National Archives’ records.

Highlights of the celebration include a cocktail hour; theater program and award presentation; a seated dinner in the Rotunda and Rotunda Galleries – just steps away from the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights; and a dessert reception on the Archives’ portico overlooking Constitution Avenue.

The 2023 Records of Achievement Award Ceremony and Gala is made possible in part by Governor Jim and Janet Blanchard, Bank of America, Brown Advisory, Anne S. Chao, The Daschle Group, DLA Piper LLP (US), Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.), Marilynn and John Hill, Cameron F. Kerry, Jacqueline B. Mars, Karen Pritzker, Lucinda Robb, The Salemme/Welch Family, The Honorable Rodney E. Slater, Marjorie B. Tiven, Verizon, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.