Biography

Lieutenant Bingham grew up in Auburn Maine and graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. Including his participation in the ROTC program he had a distinguished career at URI. He was distinguished military graduate. He was the Quartermaster Battalion Commander in his senior year. He graduated with high honors and was the top student in the business school. As a four-year member of the Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track teams he served as Co-Captain of both the Cross Country and Indoor teams and was a recipient of the 1966 East Coast Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete Award. He was president of the Blue Key Honor Society and a member of the Sachems Senior Honor Society and Vice President of his class. As a Member of the Phi Mu Dela Fraternity, he served as its Vice President and treasurer.

After receiving his MBA, Lieutenant Bingham went on active duty in 1968. Following an assignment at Ft Monmouth he deployed to the Republic of Vietnam to became the procurement officer and later acting deputy commander of the 21 officer and enlisted service clubs that served the Saigon area. This was a multi-million-dollar operation with over a thousand employees. He oversaw the negotiation and maintenance of all contracts, the entertainment division and the slot machine operation. It should be noted that there were serious problems in the operation of service clubs in Vietnam at the time. Several high-ranking noncommissioned officers were investigated and eventually went to jail for taking kickbacks on contracts and entertainment. His job as a young lieutenant was to prevent such things from occurring in Saigon. He received a Bronze Star for his work.

Returning to Cumberland, Maine began a 45-year business career as chief financial officer in such varied fields as textiles, seafood, footwear, and retail pharmaceuticals. There besides working and raising three children, he began a 54-year career of service to his community and state. They settled in Cumberland where in 1984 he began 40 years of continuous service to his town, which included two separate six-year terms on the town council, two six-year and one three-year term on the School Administrative District 51 Board and two six-year terms on the Planning Board. He is currently serving a third time on the Planning Board and is Chair. He has served numerous committees and three Comprehensive Plans, many town capital projects, land acquisitions and land use policies have happened under his watch. He is a 45-year member of the Lions Club, serving as its president and heading up its scholarship committee. He is a Melvin Jones Fellow and named and Citizen of the Year in 2022.

Religion has played an important part in his life. He has served as a Deacon, Treasurer and Moderator of the Cumberland Congregational Church. He also has served at the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ on both the Division of Ministry and the Board of Directors. At the Cathedral Church of St Luke in Portland he has served on the Vestry and is an usher and lector.

In his 30’s he was asked to go onto the initial board that was establishing the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. It finally began its operation on the campus of then St. Francis College. Later both institutions merged into the University of New England which has facilities in Biddeford and Portland. He served on the combined board of UNE for ten years and was vice chair his last year.

Connie, his wife of 55 years, is a retired tax partner of MacDonald Page in Portland. Both have been long term supporters of the Portland arts community. The organizations include the Portland Symphony, Opera Maine, Coral Arts Society, Friends of the Kotzmar Organ and the Bach Virtuosi. Connie serves on the Board of Opera Maine and the Bach organization.

Being a sailor for 25 years, he is a member of the Portland Yacht Club and has served as a director.

In support of the University of Rhode Island, he has been a multi-year contributor to the URI Annual Fund. He served as the co-chair of the Class Gift Committee for the Class of 1966 50th reunion and he has been a significant financial supporter of the Business School. He has hosted alumni receptions with the President in Portland, Maine. He also gave a donation in memory of Charles Yaghoobian to the athletic fund. He is a member of the Oliver Watson Society which recognizes notable doners to the university. When visiting the university for day games, he always tries to visit the ROTC department to talk with current cadets and share with them his experiences. On the rare occasions he gets to Homecoming, he always drops by the ROTC tent.

One of the country’s most significant pieces of legislation was the Morrill Act of the 1860’s which created the Land Grant University System. Not only did it establish public universities in each state to educate future teachers, farmers, engineers, nurses and other professionals, but it also created ROTC programs to train future officers to be available should a war break out. URI was one of those land grant schools and did its job. Peter Bingham was a product of that legislation. He got a good education in a good profession, an education that got him into a good graduate school. It also gave him the military training that helped develop the qualities of discipline, loyalty, leadership and initiative. These served him well both in Vietnam but also for his business and public service career. Like most of his generation he was taught to give back to his community. His devotion to duty, outstanding leadership are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his community and the University of Rhode Island.

Lieutenant Peter Bingham exemplifies the beyond having participated in the ROTC program the three evaluated areas for induction into the hall of fame. His military service was distinguished, his support to the University of Rhode Island and the Cramer’s Sabers Battalion is significant and his contribution to society are also incredibly significant. For these reason he is a Hall of Fame member.