William Bingham Foundation

Established in 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Elizabeth Bingham Blossom with the proceeds of an inheritance from her brother, William Bingham 2nd. Grants were originally given to institutions of learning, hospitals, and public charities in Ohio. The foundation also contributed to the establishment and development of Blossom Music Center. After the death of Elizabeth Bingham Blossom in 1970, other family members maintained control of the foundation, and the focus of grantmaking changed to include organizations in the fields of the environment, the arts, education, health, and welfare. Projects related to urban revitalization, adult psychological development, and nuclear issues were also undertaken. Environmental issues took center stage in grants funding by the William Bingham Foundation in the 1980s, with several significant grants being made to the Environmental Defense Fund.

From the description of William Bingham Foundation records, Series II, 1955-1999. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 51050599

From the description of William Bingham Foundation records, 1968-1993. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 41408570

The William Bingham Foundation (f. 1955) was established by Elizabeth Bingham Blossom (1881-1970) with the proceeds of an inheritance from her brother, William Bingham 2nd (1879-1955). After the deaths of his mother, Mary Perry Payne Bingham, in 1898 and his brother Oliver in 1900, William Bingham 2nd spent years traveling the United States and Canada. He settled, in 1911, in Bethel, Maine, where he remained for the rest of his life. The son of Charles W. Bingham (1846-1929) and nephew of Oliver Hazard Payne (1839-1917), William Bingham 2nd inherited portions of their estates. He made philanthropy his life's work, donating his fortune particularly to hospitals and poor residents of Maine to pay for medical care. William Bingham 2nd never married, and when he died in 1955 in Miami Beach, Florida, he left $1.5 million dollars to his sister, Elizabeth Bingham Blossom (for a complete biographical sketch of William Bingham 2nd, see the register to MS 4691 William Bingham 2nd Papers).

Elizabeth Bingham Blossom was the wife of Dudley S. Blossom, Sr. (1879-1938) (for a complete biographical sketch of Dudley and Elizabeth Blossom, see the register to MS 4562 Dudley S. Blossom Family Papers). Elizabeth Blossom's reasons for starting the foundation are not well documented, but her family believes it was a means of keeping the family together and to provide family members with an outlet for learning and practicing charity. Grants were originally limited to institutions of learning, hospitals, and public charities in Ohio. The original trustees included Elizabeth Blossom, her daughter, Mary Blossom Gale Lee (1913-1976), her son, Dudley S. Blossom, Jr. (1911-1961), and her attorney, Thomas Allen. Emily Elkins Gale Blossom (1913-1991), the second wife of Dudley S. Blossom, Jr., was elected to fill the seat of her late husband in 1963. While the third generation of Blossoms began to join the board at this time, the founding generations controlled the William Bingham Foundation for the first twenty years of its existence. Significant grants were made anonymously to the Case Institute of Technology. The foundation also contributed to the establishment and development of Blossom Music Center, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Elizabeth Bingham Blossom died in 1970, leaving the foundation almost six million dollars from her estate, bringing the holdings of the foundation to $17 million. At this time, the William Bingham Foundation amended its articles of incorporation to authorize gifts to tax-exempt organizations in general. Mary Blossom Gale Lee died in 1976, and soon thereafter Emily Blossom resigned from the board. The Board now consisted of seven of the grandchildren (third generation) of the founder, including C. Bingham Blossom, Dudley S. Blossom 3rd, Laurel Blossom, Elizabeth Blossom Heffernan, Benjamin Gale, Mary E. Gale, and Thomas H. Gale. Although they had grown up together, each had developed his or her own personal, social, political, and religious views. Over the next twenty years, the foundation made annual grants of over one million dollars to organizations in the fields of the environment, arts, education, health, and welfare. Multi-year projects related to urban revitalization, adult psychological development, and an exhibit on nuclear issues were successfully undertaken during this time. The environment took center stage at the William Bingham Foundation in the 1980s and several significant grants were made to the Environmental Defense Fund and other environmental organizations. Three members of the fourth Blossom generation, including Thomas V. Gale, were added to the board during this time.

Over the years members of the third generation had made many compromises in order to reconcile philosophical differences and keep the foundation intact. It was concluded that maintaining the foundation as a single institution was less important than maintaining family relationships and respecting each individual's desire to practice charity in his or her own way. In 1995 the William Bingham Foundation was reorganized into five smaller foundations. These new foundations are the new William Bingham Foundation, the Crossroads Foundation, the Thomas H. and Barbara W. Gale Foundation, the Gale Foundation, and the Molly Bee Fund. The new William Bingham Foundation is located in Rocky River, Ohio. Its board consists of Dudley S. Blossom, Jr.'s children C. Bingham Blossom, Laurel Blossom, and Elizabeth Heffernan, and two of his grandchildren, C. Perry Blossom and Robin Dunn Blossom. It makes annual grants of approximately $600,000 and in 1997 had assets of approximately $20 million. The new board still faces the same challenges of defining a mission, establishing a governance structure, and addressing other philanthropic issues. The new William Bingham Foundation is considering possible individual or collective areas of grantmaking emphasis but will continue to make grants in many fields.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the William Bingham Foundation

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Charles W. Bingham

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for William Bingham

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Dudley S. Blossom

From the guide to the William Bingham Foundation Records, Series II, 1955-1999, (Western Reserve Historical Society)

The William Bingham Foundation (f. 1955) was established by Elizabeth Bingham Blossom (1881-1970) with the proceeds of an inheritance from her brother, William Bingham 2nd (1879-1955). After the deaths of his mother, Mary Perry Payne Bingham, in 1898 and his brother Oliver in 1900, William Bingham 2nd spent years traveling the United States and Canada. He settled, in 1911, in Bethel, Maine, where he remained for the rest of his life. The son of Charles W. Bingham (1846-1929) and nephew of Oliver Hazard Payne (1839-1917), William Bingham 2nd inherited portions of their estates. He made philanthropy his life's work, donating his fortune particularly to hospitals and poor residents of Maine to pay for medical care. William Bingham 2nd never married, and when he died in 1955 in Miami Beach, Florida, he left $1.5 million dollars to his sister, Elizabeth Bingham Blossom (for a complete biographical sketch of William Bingham 2nd, see the register to MS 4691 William Bingham 2nd Papers).

Elizabeth Bingham Blossom was the wife of Dudley S. Blossom, Sr. (1879-1938) (for a complete biographical sketch of Dudley and Elizabeth Blossom, see the register to MS 4562 Dudley S. Blossom Family Papers). Elizabeth Blossom's reasons for starting the foundation are not well documented, but her family believes it was a means of keeping the family together and to provide family members with an outlet for learning and practicing charity. Grants were originally limited to institutions of learning, hospitals, and public charities in Ohio. The original trustees included Elizabeth Blossom, her daughter, Mary Blossom Gale Lee (1913-1976), her son, Dudley S. Blossom, Jr. (1911-1961), and her attorney, Thomas Allen. Emily Elkins Gale Blossom (1913-1991), the second wife of Dudley S. Blossom, Jr., was elected to fill the seat of her late husband in 1963. While the third generation of Blossoms began to join the board at this time, the founding generations controlled the William Bingham Foundation for the first twenty years of its existence. Significant grants were made anonymously to the Case Institute of Technology. The foundation also contributed to the establishment and development of Blossom Music Center, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Elizabeth Bingham Blossom died in 1970, leaving the foundation almost six million dollars from her estate, bringing the holdings of the foundation to $17 million. At this time, the William Bingham Foundation amended its articles of incorporation to authorize gifts to tax-exempt organizations in general. Mary Blossom Gale Lee died in 1976, and soon thereafter Emily Blossom resigned from the board. The Board now consisted of seven of the grandchildren (third generation) of the founder, including C. Bingham Blossom, Dudley S. Blossom 3rd, Laurel Blossom, Elizabeth Blossom Heffernan, Benjamin Gale, Mary E. Gale, and Thomas H. Gale. Although they had grown up together, each had developed his or her own personal, social, political, and religious views. Over the next twenty years, the foundation made annual grants of over one million dollars to organizations in the fields of the environment, arts, education, health, and welfare. Multi-year projects related to urban revitalization, adult psychological development, and an exhibit on nuclear issues were successfully undertaken during this time. The environment took center stage at the William Bingham Foundation in the 1980s and several significant grants were made to the Environmental Defense Fund and other environmental organizations. Three members of the fourth Blossom generation, including Thomas V. Gale, were added to the board during this time.

Over the years members of the third generation had made many compromises in order to reconcile philosophical differences and keep the foundation intact. It was concluded that maintaining the foundation as a single institution was less important than maintaining family relationships and respecting each individual's desire to practice charity in his or her own way. In 1995 the William Bingham Foundation was reorganized into five smaller foundations. These new foundations are the new William Bingham Foundation, the Crossroads Foundation, the Thomas H. and Barbara W. Gale Foundation, the Gale Foundation, and the Molly Bee Fund. The new William Bingham Foundation is located in Rocky River, Ohio. Its board consists of Dudley S. Blossom, Jr.'s children C. Bingham Blossom, Laurel Blossom, and Elizabeth Heffernan, and two of his grandchildren, C. Perry Blossom and Robin Dunn Blossom. It makes annual grants of approximately $600,000 and in 1997 had assets of approximately $20 million. The new board still faces the same challenges of defining a mission, establishing a governance structure, and addressing other philanthropic issues. The new William Bingham Foundation is considering possible individual or collective areas of grantmaking emphasis but will continue to make grants in many fields.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the William Bingham Foundation

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Charles W. Bingham

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for William Bingham

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Dudley S. Blossom

From the guide to the William Bingham Foundation Records, 1968-1993, (Western Reserve Historical Society)