Jinsie Bingham Day celebrated with city proclamation

Already surprised with a birthday party from her family on Monday, Jinsie Bingham gets an extra surprise from son Doug Wokoun who, acting in place of Mayor Bill Dory, presents his mother with a proclamation that Dec. 28 is recognized as Jinsie Bingham Day in the city of Greencastle.

Courtesy photo

Jinsie Bingham may be a local historian, but she’s made history in Greencastle as well, and darned if it hasn’t happened again.

On Monday, Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory declared Dec. 28 Jinsie Bingham Day in Greencastle as part of a surprise 85th birthday party for Jinsie and encouraged local residents to “congratulate one of Greencastle’s finest citizens on her landmark birthday.”

“Please note,” the mayor was quick to point out, “that had I included all of her accomplishments, the proclamation would have been several pages long.”

Bingham, born Virginia Hutchinson Scott, has been part of Greencastle her whole life, the proclamation notes. It goes on to point out that Bingham was the first Indiana woman to own a radio station, her beloved WJNZ (now WREB), noting that the call letters were reflective of her first name.

Bingham’s many honors have included being selected Putnam County Citizen of the Year in 1997, being named to the Indiana Broadcaster Hall of Fame in 1999 and being awarded an honorary doctoral degree from DePauw University in 2018. She also has been recognized as both a Sagamore of the Wabash and a Kentucky Colonel.

The proclamation also notes that Bingham was “among the first women to join the Greencastle Rotary Club, continuing a family tradition started by her father,” Roscoe Scott, who was a longtime member.

Dory added, “As mayor, I see two of her most important accomplishments as serving two terms on the Greencastle Common Council, and serving on the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals for more than 20 years, where she held the title of president.”

The proclamation quotes Jinsie, in a 2001 Area 7 Agency on Aging article, as saying, “I hope my health holds out so I can keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve already been president of everything in Greencastle, I think.”

In addition to serving on the City Council, Bingham over the years has helped enhance her community as one of the founders of the Greencastle High School Alumni Association and the GHS Alumni Scholarship Fund. She also served two terms as president of the Greencastle Business and Professional Women’s Club; three terms on the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center Board; was president of the Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, Greencastle Board of Zoning Appeals, Putnam County Historical Society and Main Street Greencastle among many other activities.

Bingham also holds the distinction of being a certified “Hoosier Know-It-All,” having appeared to great success on the old Channel 4 game show of that name in 1997.

The proclamation, son Doug Wokoun reports, “for once, left Jinsie speechless for a few moments.”

She marked the milestone birthday with her family and appropriate safety measures, “the magnitude of which will not be revealed,” he added.