Born in Toledo, Ohio, on April 23, 1902, William D. Buckingham completed high school there in June, 1921. He graduated from the Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland in May 1925 and went to work for the Western Union Telegraph Company in Toledo. Following a two year training program, Buckingham went to work for the company at their Water Mill Laboratory on Long Island where he spent his entire career. He earned a second degree in Electrical Engineering from Case in 1930.

During the Second World War, Buckingham was associated with the Office of Scientific Research and Development. It was during this period that he invented and developed a concentrated arc-lamp which employed molten zirconium. For this, his most important invention, he received the Wetherill Medal from the Franklin Institute in 1954.

Another of his important contributions was his development of the sensors used in a nuclear bomb alarm system which Western Union installed in major in the early 1960's. For this, Buckingham received the company's d'Humy Award in 1962.

Buckingham was a member of Sigma Xi (Science Research Honor Society), Eta Kappa Nu (Electrical Engineering Honor Society), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. On June 15, 1964, Buckingham retired as the Senior Research Engineer at the Water Mill Lab. He died on January 19, 1965 at the age of 62.