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Annual Family History Benefit Gala

Featuring Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III in Conversation with David M. Rubenstein

America’s story is the story of its proud and diverse people: the outsiders, the adventurers, the persecuted, and the dreamers. Their unique experiences make up our nation’s collective memory. American Ancestors is dedicated to uncovering and telling the stories of the individuals who built our nation, and to helping future generations understand how our past shapes our present. Join us as we honor American educator and historian Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie G. Bunch III with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the field of American history. Following a reception and dinner, Bunch will be in conversation with philanthropist, author, and Carlyle Group cofounder David M. Rubenstein about the role of cultural institutions in preserving our nation’s heritage.

Dress code: Black tie optional

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, an American educator, and historian. As Secretary, he oversees twenty-one libraries and twenty-one museums including two new museums under development representing American Latino and Women’s History. He was founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles and books, including The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden; Call the Lost Dream Back: Essays on History, Race & Museums; and Slave Culture: A Documentary Collection of the Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project. In 2019, Secretary Bunch was awarded the Freedom Medal from the Roosevelt Institute, the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from the Hutchins Center at Harvard University; and the National Equal Justice Award from the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund. In 2021, he received France’s highest award, the Légion d’honneur.

In Conversation With

David M. Rubenstein is co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, an author, and philanthropist. He is chairman of the boards of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Gallery of Art, Council on Foreign Relations, Economic Club of Washington, and University of Chicago; and a former chair of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents. He has authored two books focused on America’s unique history: The American Experiment: Dialogues on a Dream and The American Story: Conversations with Master Historian. His most recent work is How to Invest: Masters on the Craft. For his monumental impact in the field of preservation, Mr. Rubenstein was the recipient of our Preservation and History Award in January 2022.