The White House has proudly announced its newest curator, Donna Hayashi Smith.
Established under President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, the curator is responsible for the upkeep and preservation of the thousands of paintings, sculptures, furniture and other artifacts that are kept at the president’s residency; and oversees their own team of assistant curators. Hayashi Smtih will be coming into the role as the ninth curator and the first Asian American person to hold the position.
Originally from Wahiawa, Hawaii, Hayashi Smith has served under the Office of the Curator since 1995 and through five different presidential administrations. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and moved to Washington D.C. in 1990 to work under the Smithsonian Institution minority fellowship at the National Museum of American History.
She went on to work as an aide with the National Museum of American Art before joining the Office of the Curator just five years after coming to D.C.
In the Office of the Curator, Hayashi Smith began her career as the administrative and collections assistant, then became the White House collections manager and registrar. Most recently, she was the associate curator of the collections and registrar—a position where she was responsible for caring for and tracking over 60,000 objects in the White House Collection. She also led the Office of the Curator through its American Alliance of Museums re-accreditation in 2022, ensuring that the White House continues to be recognized nationally as an accredited museum.
In 2023, Hayashi Smith took on the role as acting chief curator after former Chief Curator Lydia Tederick retired after 44 years of service.
Hayashi Smith will now be removing the “acting” from her title to become the ninth official chief curator of the White House. Along with being the first Asian American person to become White House curator, Hayashi Smith is also the first person of color and the fourth woman to hold the title since the position was created in 1961.
“Donna Hayashi Smith brings years of experience to this position, along with unique perspectives from serving under five administrations. She understands the history and legacy of the White House, as well as the intricate innerworkings of the building itself,” said First Lady Jill Biden. “I look forward to continuing our work together to preserve the White House’s living history, increasing opportunities for Americans to see themselves reflected here and making the ‘People’s House’ more accessible to the millions of people who visit our nation’s capital each year.”
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