Bingham, Woodbridge.

Woodbridge Bingham (1901-1986) began his teaching career at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1937, and in 1949 he founded the Institute of East Asiatic Studies, for which he served as a director until 1957. He became an emeritus professor in 1969, although he remained active as a Faculty Fellow until 1977. Woodbridge's father, Hiram Bingham (1875-1956), a noted explorer and politician, discovered the Incan ruins at Macchu Picchu in 1911, and served as a U.S. Senator from Connecticut.

Biography

Woodbridge Bingham decided to study Chinese history and language at a time when few people in the U. S. were doing so. As a result, he played a pioneering role in the development of East Asian studies in the United States. In 1924, when he began his studies, there were only a few universities in the entire country offering any Oriental courses and no professional organizations, associations, or publications for support. Bingham began his career at the University of California, Berkeley in 1937, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students the history and civilizations of Asia. The detailed syllabi and reading lists he created for his classes became his Southwest Asia: A Brief History and History of Asia. He was a founding member, in 1941, of the Far Eastern Association, whose purpose was to publish Far Eastern Quarterly (now the Journal of Asian Studies). Bingham served through 1953 as a member of the first board of directors and from 1941 to 1947 was also a member of the editorial advisory board; during 1947-1949, he edited the quarterly's News and Notes and News of the Profession sections.

In 1949 Bingham founded the University of California's Institute of East Asiatic Studies, and served as director until 1957. He was an advocate of the Faculty Fellows Program, which sought to foster closer ties between students and faculty by providing opportunities for communication outside the classroom, and served as the program's coordinator from 1963 to 1965. Although Bingham became an emeritus professor in 1969, his involvement as a Faculty Fellow lasted until 1977, when, as a member of the advisory board to a program known as CAL-in-the-UN, Bingham travelled to New York City to visit University of California student interns.

Woodbridge Bingham's strengths were his devotion to his subject area, his enthusiasm for teaching it, and his sincere interest in his students. He motivated his students to their maximum abilities, acting on their behalf far above and beyond the duty of an ordinary professor: he proposed, recommended, encouraged, and cheered them on. He not only advised them academically, but personally as well, helping them to obtain housing, financial aid, foreign travel connections, and employment. Time after time, grateful students wrote to ask Bingham for advice and direction and to thank him for his support, discipline, encouragement, suggestions, and the opportunities he provided to broaden their experience and widen their vision. Hilary Conroy and Frank Iklé, co-authors for A History of Asia, were former students.

The Binghams were an old, prominent, wealthy, and fascinating New England family. His father, Hiram (1875-1956), son of famous but penniless missionaries, in 1899 married Alfreda Mitchell, granddaughter and heiress of Charles L. Tiffany. An explorer, Hiram discovered Macchu Picchu in the Peruvian highlands in 1911. Later he was elected to the U. S. Senate from Connecticut. Woodbridge was the oldest of seven brothers: Alfred Mitchell, lawyer; Brewster, minister; Charles Tiffany, physician; Hiram (1903-1988), diplomat; Jonathon Brewster, congressman; and Mitchell, artist. Although younger than Woodbridge, Alfred eventually settled in as the Bingham family head. In the 1930s, Alfred edited and published Common Sense, a radical left-wing magazine, while Brewster and Mitchell became deeply involved with a group known as M.R.A. (Moral Re-Armament), which eventually emerged in the 1970s as Up With People. Only two of the brothers made their homes away from New England: Mitchell in Florida and Woodbridge in Berkeley, California.

On 28 June 1928, Woodbridge married a young woman of similar standing and background, Ursula Wolcott Griswold. They had four daughters: Anne (b. 1929), Clarissa (b. 1931), Evelyn (b. 1938) and Marion (b. 1940). By 1930 Woodbridge and Ursula had relocated from the East Coast to Berkeley for reasons of Woodbridge's health and to enable him to begin his Ph.D program at the University of California. During 1934, with two children under age 6, they moved to Beijing (then called Peiping), China where they remained until he joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley in 1937.

Bingham was also a career naval reserve officer, primarily involved in translation and research. During World War II, he was attached to the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific Ocean Areas and later, the Office of Strategic Services.

Woodbridge Bingham died 5 May 1986. His ashes were buried in the family cemetery in Salem, Connecticut.