Edwin R. "Bing" Bingham

Edwin R. "Bing" Bingham

1920-2009

Edwin R. Bingham, or "Bing" as he liked to be called, was born in Denver, Colorado, on January 21, 1920, the only child of Guy and Helen (Hinckley) Bingham. When he was four, the family moved to Huntington Park, California (now a suburb of southeast Los Angeles), where he spent the next 18 years. He was influenced by the natural beauty that surrounded him in the California of that time; its feeling of abundance, lushness of climate, and nearness to the ocean. His parents, by example, instilled in him an early love of books and reading, which helped lead him to his life's work as an historian, writer and teacher of history.

In 1941 Bing earned his BA degree from Occidental College, after which he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, where he served until 1945. In 1943 he married Helen Hopkins, with whom he had two daughters, Susan Kimball, and Linda Christine. In 1949 he completed his Master's degree in history at UCLA, and was offered a teaching assistantship at the University of Oregon.

Upon arrival, he was struck by the beauty of Eugene, and thus began his long association with the university community there, and with the state of Oregon in all its richness and variety; the place to which he gladly returned in 1951, after earning his PhD from UCLA. It was fitting that he chose to specialize in the history of the Pacific Northwest and, more generally, American cultural history: topics that allowed him to deepen and share his appreciation of his newfound home state, as well as his love of literature and the arts.

In 1951 Bing and Helen divorced. He married Virginia Wright in 1952, with whom he had two more daughters, Sheila Jeanne and Sara Lisa. Bing was soon known on campus for his lively lectures, his sense of humor and his approachability and openness; all qualities that made him a popular teacher whom students found to be generous with both time and energy. He made teaching a priority, but also researched and wrote numerous articles, book reviews, and biographical essays. Among his published works are Charles F. Lummis (his dissertation in 1955 reissued in 2006); California Gold, Northwest Perspectives (co-edited with Glen Love), American Frontier, Frontier Experience (co-edited with Robert V. Hine), Fur Trade in the West and Wood Works (co-edited with Tim Barnes).

In 1978-79 Bing was a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Mysore, India, and in 1985 a lecturer in Shandong, Jinan, China. He was a past president of the American Historical Society, Pacific Coast Branch, and upon retirement in 1982, was awarded the title of professor emeritus. He then spent the next 17 years touring the state, giving historical presentations with the Chautauqua program of the Oregon Council for the Humanities. From 1993 on, he was an active supporter of the Wayne Morse Youth Program with founder, friend, and kindred spirit Victor Stathakos. In 2003 he received the University of Oregon's Distinguished Service Award, commending him for his 33 years of excellence in teaching.

Beyond these professional accolades, are his qualities as a human being. Bing had a warmth and charisma that drew people to him. His was a vital spirit that disliked pomposity, bureaucracy and priggishness. He loved the beauty of the natural world, and lamented its demise. He loved the wildness of the Oregon Coast, the rugged peaks of the Cascades and the eastern Oregon desert. He loved each one of the dogs who shared various decades of his life: Lobo, Scannon, Kia, and Bay. He had a natural optimism that seemed to fulfill its own promise: the charm that leads to a charmed life; and it was a life that those who knew him felt privileged to share.

Bing is survived by his partner of the past 20 years, Ruth South; his first and second wives Helen Hopkins and Virginia Bingham; daughters Susan Tipton (Ken), Christine Smigel (Scott), Sheila Coppola Bidlack (Rick), and Sara Attard (Ron); his grandchildren John, Ashley, Courtland, and Robyn; and his great-grandchildren Jadyn, Alyssa, and Isla. He was preceded in death by his parents and dear cousin Rosanna (Crane) Parker.

The family wishes to thank Roberta and her staff at the Ronning-Fry Foster Home, as well as the staff from the Hospice of Sacred Heart. The kindness and help of all involved were invaluable and deeply appreciated.Please sign the guest book at www.registerguard.com/legacy