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{{Multiple issues|
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'''George Barry Bingham, Jr.''' (September 23, 1933 – April 3, 2006 in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]) was an American [[newspaper]] [[publisher]] and [[television]] and [[radio]] executive. He was the last descendant of the Bingham family that controlled Louisville's daily newspapers, a television station, and two radio stations for much of the 20th century.
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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Barry Bingham Jr.
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1933|9|23}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|4|3|1933|9|23}}
| death_place = [[Louisville, Kentucky]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Cave Hill Cemetery]], Louisville
| other_names =
| alma_mater = [[Brooks School]]<br/ >[[Harvard University]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Newspaper publisher|television and radio executive}}
| years_active =
| employer =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| spouse = Edith Wharton Stenhouse Franchini
| children = 2, including [[Emily S. Bingham|Emily]] and [[Molly Bingham|Molly]]
| signature =
}}
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'''George Barry Bingham Jr.''' (September 23, 1933 – April 3, 2006 in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]) was an American [[newspaper]] [[publisher]] and [[television]] and [[radio]] executive. He was the third and last generation of the Bingham family that controlled Louisville's daily newspapers, a television station, and two radio stations for much of the 20th century.


==Early life==
Bingham was educated at the [[Brooks School]] and [[Harvard University]].<ref>McFadden, Robert D. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/business/media/04bingham.html "Barry Bingham Jr., Louisville Publisher, Is Dead at 72"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 4, 2006. Accessed December 12, 2007. "He attended the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., and graduated from Harvard in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in history."</ref>
Bingham was educated at [[Eaglebrook School]], [[Brooks School]] and [[Harvard University]].<ref>McFadden, Robert D. [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/business/media/04bingham.html "Barry Bingham Jr., Louisville Publisher, Is Dead at 72"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 4, 2006. Accessed December 12, 2007. "He attended the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., and graduated from Harvard in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in history."</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Tifft, Susan |author1-link=Susan Tifft |title=The Patriarch: The Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty |date=1993 |publisher=Touchstone |isbn=9780671797072 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnvyAxkofsAC |access-date=2 July 2022}}</ref>


"Barry Jr.," as he was almost always called, was the surviving son of [[Barry Bingham, Sr.]] and the grandson of [[Robert Worth Bingham]], who originally purchased controlling interest in ''[[The Courier-Journal]]'' and ''[[The Louisville Times]]'' in 1919. The original plan by Bingham Sr. was for Barry Jr. to control the family's broadcast properties, [[WHAS (AM)]], [[WAMZ|WHAS-FM]] and [[WHAS-TV]], as well as the Standard Gravure [[rotogravure]] print plant. Robert Worth Bingham III (known as Worth), the brother of Barry Jr., was slated to run the newspapers, but Worth was killed in a freak driving accident at the age of 34 that broke his neck and killed him instantly in 1966 which changed the elder Bingham's plans, and Barry Jr. took over management of the newspapers in 1971. (His younger brother, Jonathan Worth Bingham, was [[electric shock|electrocuted]] in an accident on the family estate in 1964 at the age of 22.)
"Barry Jr.," as he was almost always called, was the surviving son of [[Barry Bingham Sr.]] and the grandson of [[Robert Worth Bingham]], who originally purchased controlling interest in ''[[The Courier-Journal]]'' and ''[[The Louisville Times]]'' in 1919. The original plan by Bingham Sr. was for Barry Jr. to control the family's broadcast properties, [[WHAS (AM)|WHAS-AM]]-[[WAMZ|FM]]-[[WHAS-TV|TV]], as well as the Standard Gravure [[rotogravure]] print plant. Robert Worth Bingham III (known as Worth), the brother of Barry Jr., was slated to run the newspapers, but Worth was killed in a freak driving accident at the age of 34 that broke his neck and killed him instantly in 1966 which changed the elder Bingham's plans, and Barry Jr. took over management of the newspapers in 1971. (His younger brother, Jonathan Worth Bingham, was [[electric shock|electrocuted]] in an accident on the family estate in 1964 at the age of 22.)


==Career==
Bingham Jr. was a different breed of newspaper publisher. Besides his distinctive [[mustache]] and fondness for [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Tam o' Shanter (cap)|Tam o' Shanters]], Bingham Jr. was a stickler for journalistic ethics—sometimes to a fault, critics claimed—and public service that sometimes trumped profits. He insisted on professionalism at all levels, even to the point of insisting on the removal of his own wife, mother, and two sisters from the company board of directors. This ongoing struggle, particularly with sister [[Sallie Bingham]], eventually led Bingham Sr. to break up the company in 1986 and sell off the parts, with the newspapers being sold to [[Gannett Corporation]] and the radio stations sold to a predecessor of [[Clear Channel Communications]].
Bingham Jr. was a different breed of newspaper publisher. Besides his distinctive [[mustache]] and fondness for [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Tam o' Shanter (cap)|Tam o' Shanters]], Bingham Jr. was a stickler for journalistic ethics—sometimes to a fault, critics claimed—and public service that sometimes trumped profits. He insisted on professionalism at all levels, even to the point of insisting on the removal of his own wife, mother, and two sisters from the company board of directors. This ongoing struggle, particularly with sister [[Sallie Bingham]], eventually led Bingham Sr., who remained chairman, to sell off the family media empire in 1986, with the newspapers being sold to [[Gannett Company]], the radio stations to [[Clear Channel Communications]], and WHAS-TV to ''[[The Providence Journal]]''.


During the tenure of Bingham Jr., the ''C-J'' won [[Pulitzer Prize]]s in three separate years: 1976, for photography regarding of court-ordered public school [[Desegregation busing|busing and desegregation]]; 1978, for an investigation of the [[Beverly Hills Supper Club fire]]; and, 1980 for a series of stories and photos from [[Cambodia]].
During the tenure of Bingham Jr., the ''C-J'' won [[Pulitzer Prize]]s in three separate years: 1976, for photography regarding of court-ordered public school [[Desegregation busing|busing and desegregation]]; 1978, for an investigation of the [[Beverly Hills Supper Club fire]]; and, 1980 for a series of stories and photos from [[Cambodia]].
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After the sale of the media properties, Bingham Jr. briefly published a [[newsletter]] about [[ethics]] in journalism. After that effort ended, he largely stayed out of the public light, surfacing only on occasion and then usually to criticize the management of the former Bingham companies. He also was an active supporter of and fund-raiser for [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]] and [[Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest]].
After the sale of the media properties, Bingham Jr. briefly published a [[newsletter]] about [[ethics]] in journalism. After that effort ended, he largely stayed out of the public light, surfacing only on occasion and then usually to criticize the management of the former Bingham companies. He also was an active supporter of and fund-raiser for [[Actors Theatre of Louisville]] and [[Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest]].


Bingham Jr. was particularly critical of Gannett's operation of ''The Courier-Journal,'' particularly its practice of running [[advertisement]]s on the front page (in a banner across the very bottom) and its closing of the newspaper's regional [[News bureau|bureaus]] throughout the state. Bingham Jr. kept the bureau network in operation throughout his tenure, despite their high expense.
Bingham Jr. was particularly critical of Gannett's operation of ''The Courier-Journal'', particularly its practice of running [[advertisement]]s on the front page (in a banner across the very bottom) and its closing of the newspaper's regional [[News bureau|bureaus]] throughout the state. Bingham Jr. had kept the bureau network in operation throughout his tenure, despite their high expense.


==Personal life==
Barry Bingham, Jr. died of [[respiratory failure]]. He was survived by his wife, the former Edith Wharton Stenhouse Franchini; two daughters from their marriage, Emily S. Bingham and Mary C. Bingham (known as Molly); two stepsons from Edith's first marriage, Philip John Franchini and Charles Wharton Bingham; and the two sisters whom he fought for control of the media properties.
Barry Bingham Jr. died of [[respiratory failure]] on April 3, 2006, at his home in Louisville.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yee |first1=April |title=Bingham, 72, Heir to Media Empire, Dies |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/6/3/bingham-72-heir-to-media-empire/ |access-date=July 14, 2022 |work=[[The Harvard Crimson]] |date=June 3, 2006}}</ref> He was survived by his wife, the former Edith Wharton Stenhouse Franchini; two daughters from their marriage, author [[Emily S. Bingham]] and Journalist and former CEO [[Molly Bingham|Mary C. Bingham]] (known as Molly); two stepsons from Edith's first marriage, Philip John Franchini and Charles Wharton Bingham; and the two sisters whom he fought for control of the media properties.


==See also==
==See also==
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{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
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| NAME = Bingham, Barry Jr.
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American businessman
| DATE OF BIRTH = September 23, 1933
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = April 3, 2006
| PLACE OF DEATH =
⚫
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingham, Barry Jr.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingham, Barry Jr.}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from respiratory failure]]
[[Category:20th-century American newspaper publishers (people)]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:American mass media owners]]
[[Category:American newspaper chain owners]]
[[Category:Bingham family|Barry Jr.]]
[[Category:Harvard University people]]
[[Category:Brooks School alumni]]
[[Category:Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery]]
[[Category:Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery]]
[[Category:Bingham family]]
[[Category:Courier Journal people]]
[[Category:Deaths from respiratory failure]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]

Latest revision as of 01:35, 31 August 2024

Barry Bingham Jr.
Born(1933-09-23)September 23, 1933
DiedApril 3, 2006(2006-04-03) (aged 72)
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Resting placeCave Hill Cemetery, Louisville
Alma materBrooks School
Harvard University
Occupations
  • Newspaper publisher
  • television and radio executive
SpouseEdith Wharton Stenhouse Franchini
Children2, including Emily and Molly

George Barry Bingham Jr. (September 23, 1933 – April 3, 2006 in Louisville, Kentucky) was an American newspaper publisher and television and radio executive. He was the third and last generation of the Bingham family that controlled Louisville's daily newspapers, a television station, and two radio stations for much of the 20th century.

Early life

[edit]

Bingham was educated at Eaglebrook School, Brooks School and Harvard University.[1][2]

"Barry Jr.," as he was almost always called, was the surviving son of Barry Bingham Sr. and the grandson of Robert Worth Bingham, who originally purchased controlling interest in The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times in 1919. The original plan by Bingham Sr. was for Barry Jr. to control the family's broadcast properties, WHAS-AM-FM-TV, as well as the Standard Gravure rotogravure print plant. Robert Worth Bingham III (known as Worth), the brother of Barry Jr., was slated to run the newspapers, but Worth was killed in a freak driving accident at the age of 34 that broke his neck and killed him instantly in 1966 which changed the elder Bingham's plans, and Barry Jr. took over management of the newspapers in 1971. (His younger brother, Jonathan Worth Bingham, was electrocuted in an accident on the family estate in 1964 at the age of 22.)

Career

[edit]

Bingham Jr. was a different breed of newspaper publisher. Besides his distinctive mustache and fondness for Scottish Tam o' Shanters, Bingham Jr. was a stickler for journalistic ethics—sometimes to a fault, critics claimed—and public service that sometimes trumped profits. He insisted on professionalism at all levels, even to the point of insisting on the removal of his own wife, mother, and two sisters from the company board of directors. This ongoing struggle, particularly with sister Sallie Bingham, eventually led Bingham Sr., who remained chairman, to sell off the family media empire in 1986, with the newspapers being sold to Gannett Company, the radio stations to Clear Channel Communications, and WHAS-TV to The Providence Journal.

During the tenure of Bingham Jr., the C-J won Pulitzer Prizes in three separate years: 1976, for photography regarding of court-ordered public school busing and desegregation; 1978, for an investigation of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire; and, 1980 for a series of stories and photos from Cambodia.

After the sale of the media properties, Bingham Jr. briefly published a newsletter about ethics in journalism. After that effort ended, he largely stayed out of the public light, surfacing only on occasion and then usually to criticize the management of the former Bingham companies. He also was an active supporter of and fund-raiser for Actors Theatre of Louisville and Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest.

Bingham Jr. was particularly critical of Gannett's operation of The Courier-Journal, particularly its practice of running advertisements on the front page (in a banner across the very bottom) and its closing of the newspaper's regional bureaus throughout the state. Bingham Jr. had kept the bureau network in operation throughout his tenure, despite their high expense.

Personal life

[edit]

Barry Bingham Jr. died of respiratory failure on April 3, 2006, at his home in Louisville.[3] He was survived by his wife, the former Edith Wharton Stenhouse Franchini; two daughters from their marriage, author Emily S. Bingham and Journalist and former CEO Mary C. Bingham (known as Molly); two stepsons from Edith's first marriage, Philip John Franchini and Charles Wharton Bingham; and the two sisters whom he fought for control of the media properties.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McFadden, Robert D. "Barry Bingham Jr., Louisville Publisher, Is Dead at 72", The New York Times, April 4, 2006. Accessed December 12, 2007. "He attended the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., and graduated from Harvard in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in history."
  2. ^ Tifft, Susan (1993). The Patriarch: The Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty. Touchstone. ISBN 9780671797072. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  3. ^ Yee, April (June 3, 2006). "Bingham, 72, Heir to Media Empire, Dies". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
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