R. G. Buckingham received his medical degree in 1836 and established a private practice in Lexington, Missouri, before relocating to Denver, Colorado, in 1857. He played a pivotal role in the medical community, founding the Denver Medical Association and serving as the first president of the Colorado Territorial Medical Society. Buckingham also championed educational initiatives, advocating for the establishment of the Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes. His leadership extended into public service, where he served as the mayor of Denver from 1876 to 1877.

R. G. Buckingham's political identity is marked by a distinctive blend of progressive social advocacy and local institutional development. His legislative efforts to establish the Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes showcase a forward-thinking approach to social services, while simultaneously, his foundational role in the Denver Medical Association and the Colorado Territorial Medical Society reveals a commitment to professionalizing and localizing medical practices. This juxtaposition of social and professional policy initiatives suggests a highly localized and strategically calculated approach to governance.