Hiram Bingham III

Hiram Bingham III was an American academic, explorer, and politician who is widely credited with bringing the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu to global attention. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard University, he led the Yale Peruvian Expedition of 1911 that documented the site. His later career included service as Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut and a term in the United States Senate.

Early life and education

Born in Honolulu to Hiram Bingham II, a prominent Congregational missionary, he was immersed in a family dedicated to Protestant missions in the Pacific Islands. He attended O'ahu College before moving to the mainland United States for higher education. Bingham earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1898, followed by a master's from the University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate in Latin American history from Harvard University in 1905. His academic focus on South America laid the groundwork for his future explorations.

Exploration and discovery of Machu Picchu

In 1911, while leading the Yale Peruvian Expedition under the auspices of the National Geographic Society, Bingham sought the lost city of Vilcabamba, the last refuge of the Inca Empire. Guided by local farmer Melchor Arteaga, he was taken to the overgrown ruins of Machu Picchu on July 24. Although not the first outsider to see the site—local Quechua families lived there and figures like Augusto Berns may have preceded him—Bingham’s extensive documentation and subsequent publications brought it to worldwide fame. He returned with the Yale Peruvian Expedition of 1912 and the Yale Peruvian Expedition of 1914–15, conducting major excavations and removing thousands of artifacts to Yale University, a source of later controversy with the government of Peru.

Political career

After serving as an aviation instructor during World War I, Bingham entered Connecticut politics. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut in 1922. He ascended to the United States Senate in 1924 following the death of Senator Frank B. Brandegee and was elected to a full term later that year. His Senate career was marked by advocacy for aviation and was ultimately cut short by a censure in 1929 for allowing a lobbyist undue influence on his staff, leading to his decision not to seek re-election in 1932.

Later life and legacy

Following his political career, Bingham returned to writing and historical pursuits, authoring several popular books about exploration. He served as chairman of the United States Loyalty Review Board under President Harry S. Truman. His legacy is complex; he is celebrated as the rediscoverer of Machu Picchu, a symbol of Inca engineering and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, yet criticized for his excavation methods and the removal of cultural patrimony. The dispute over the artifacts taken to Yale University was finally resolved in 2012 with their repatriation to Peru. His life inspired the character Indiana Jones.

Publications and recognition

Bingham authored key works including *Lost City of the Incas* and *Machu Picchu, a Citadel of the Incas*, which cemented the site's place in popular imagination. His explorations earned him the prestigious Hubbard Medal from the National Geographic Society in 1916. He was also a founding member of the Explorers Club and received honors from various geographical societies. His name is borne by the Hiram Bingham Highway, the road leading to Machu Picchu, and his grandson, Hiram Bingham IV, was honored as a Righteous Among the Nations for his World War II diplomatic efforts.

Category:American explorers Category:United States senators from Connecticut Category:1875 births Category:1956 deaths