Bingham, William, 2nd, 1879-1955.

William Bingham 2nd was the son of Charles W. and Mary Perry Payne Bingham of Cleveland, Ohio, and a descendent of the Perry, Payne, Beardsley, and Bingham families. Ill health forced him to lead a secluded life in Bethel, Maine, where he sought treatment at the Bethel Inn under the care of Dr. John G. Gehring. With the advice and support of Dr. Gehring, Bingham turned his focus to philanthropy, particularly the fields of medicine and education. In 1932 he created the Bingham Associates Fund, which provided funding for medical care and training of physicians for rural areas of New England. This plan for regional medical care became known as the Bingham Plan. The Bingham Associates Fund also provided funding for the construction of the Joseph H. Pratt Diagnostic Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Farnsworth Surgical Wing of the New England Medical Center. William Bingham 2nd also gave financial support to Gould Academy, a local private high school in Bethel, Maine, and to many residents of rural Maine, who sought his help in the areas of health care and education. He supported many other religious, educational, and charitable institutions, particularly those of Maine and Florida. In addition to Dr. Gehring, Bingham relied on Dr. George Farnsworth and Dr. Arthur L. Walters as contacts and advisors in his various philanthropic pursuits.