Jonathan B. Bingham served as Secretary to the Governor from January 1, 1955 to June 30, 1958 when he went on a leave of absence to run for the New York State Senate. Bingham was Deputy Administrator of the Technical Co-operation Administration or "Point IV" Program from October 1951 to March 1953. During W. Averell Harriman's campaign for Governor, he served as Director of Research for the Citizens' Committee for the Election of Averell Harriman, George B. DeLuca, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., Arthur H. Levitt, and Adrian P. Burke. The secretary to the governor was responsible, along with the governor's counsel, for policy and program development during the Harriman Administration.
Secretary Bingham was primarily responsible for such areas as social welfare, education, mental health, housing, and traffic safety, while Counsel Daniel Gutman was responsible for such matters as crime and correction, clemency and parole, public authorities and metropolitan problems, investigations, and the judiciary. Bingham also served as the chief liaison between the governor's office and the heads of various state departments. He was also responsible for the initial drafting of the governor's annual message and the various special messages the governor delivered to the Legislature.
