The president’s executive order demanding change at the institution presents a perilous test for Lonnie G. Bunch III, its secretary, whom the White House calls a partisan Democrat.

Lonnie Bunch III, head of the Smithsonian Institution and a former Oak Parker, is navigating threats to the organization as President Donald Trump works to expand his influence there while attempting to take control of how American history is defined.

Most recent debates center on how much attention should be given to the history of the nation’s accomplishments over its darker chapters.