Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch Congratulates Jay Medalists

Commends JHC for Teaching Vital Lessons

A thrilling highlight of the Jay Medal Soirée was a a message of congratulations to the 2026 Jay Medalists and to JHC from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III.

The Jay Heritage Center’s mission could have been written specifically for Annette and Harold: ‘To encourage people of all ages to understand, preserve and protect our shared heritage and to inspire future historians.’ I would only amend that by saying future and current historians, since their work inspires me and so many other historians, many of whom are in attendance this evening.

I am so thankful to Annette and Harold for the knowledge they have shared with the world and I’m grateful to the Jay Heritage Center for recognizing their vital efforts. It is more important than ever that all of us who care about history – nonprofits, institutions of higher learning, cultural organizations – continue to remind everyone what it means to understand our past. By telling the stories of ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives, we unleash the transformative power of knowing where we come from. By drawing parallels from yesterday to today, we show how universal the human experience is across time. By making our history accessible to all, we expand history’s ability to inspire efforts to create a more perfect union. Knowing about our past opens up the possibilities of the future and as we commemorate 250 years of this ongoing democratic experiment, this incomplete work of creating liberty and justice for all, we desperately need the power of history, not only its capability to define reality but history also gives hope. So thank you to the Jay Heritage Center for continuing to teach history’s vital lessons.Watch the full video here.