Bill Gates Sr.

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Bill Gates Sr.
Gates in 2004
Gates visiting the Naz Foundation located in India in 2004.
Born
William Henry Gates II

(1925-11-30)November 30, 1925
Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
DiedSeptember 14, 2020(2020-09-14) (aged 94)
Hood Canal, Washington, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Washington
OccupationLawyer, philanthropist
Spouse(s)
Children3; including Bill

William Henry Gates II[1] (November 30, 1925 – September 14, 2020), better known as Bill Gates Sr., was an American attorney, philanthropist, and civic leader. He was the founder of the law firm Shidler McBroom & Gates (a predecessor of K&L Gates),[2] and also served as president of both the Seattle King County and Washington State Bar associations.[3] He was the father of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft.[4]

Early life[]

Gates was born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1925, and was the son of William Henry Gates (1891–1969), a furniture store owner who was himself the son of William Henry Gates, and his wife Lillian Elizabeth Rice (1891–1966).[5][6][4] He graduated from Bremerton High School in 1943.[7]

Gates served in the US Army for three years during World War II.[8][3] He subsequently attended the University of Washington under the G.I. Bill,[9] earning a B.A. in 1949 and a J.D. degree in 1950.[10] While at UW, he was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity.[11]

Career[]

Gates co-founded the law firm Shidler McBroom & Gates in 1964,[2] which later became a part of Preston Gates & Ellis LLP (PGE). He practiced with the firm until 1998, when it was merged into the firm now known as K&L Gates.[11][12] During his career he served as president of both the Seattle/King County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association.[13]

Gates served on the boards of numerous organizations in the Pacific Northwest, including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce,[14] King County United Way and Planned Parenthood.[9][15][16] In 1995 he founded the Technology Alliance, whose mission is to expand technology-based employment in Washington.[14]

In 1998, Gates retired from Preston Gates & Ellis.[12] He served for 15 years on the Board of Regents for the University of Washington,[17] and until his death was a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,[9] which his son Bill and his daughter-in-law Melinda founded. He served as a director for the bulk retail corporation Costco Wholesale from 2003, and was a founding co-chair of the Pacific Health Summit.[18] He served as an Honorary Chair for the World Justice Project.[14] The project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.[19]

Gates co-authored the book Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes with Chuck Collins. It is a defense of the policies promoted by the estate tax.[20][21] He was also the author of the book Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime.[22]

Personal life[]

In 1951, Gates married Mary Maxwell Gates (née Maxwell) (1929–1994), whom he met at the University of Washington (UW), and they remained married until her death in 1994. They had three children: Kristianne, Bill, and Libby. His two daughters, Kristi Blake and Libby Armintrout, are both active members of the UW community.[9] He was a lifelong supporter of the Washington Huskies college football team.[17]

In 1996, Gates married his second wife Mimi Gardner Gates (b. 1943), who was director of the Seattle Art Museum.[9]

In 2018, it was revealed that Gates was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[23][24] He died on September 14, 2020, aged 94, at his beach home on Hood Canal in Washington state.[4] In a tribute, his son said that his "wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world."[25][26]

Awards and recognition[]

Bill Gerberding, who was UW president from 1979 to 1995, described Gates as "a good man with a big heart [and] generous public spirit", while former Seattle mayor Norman Rice characterized Gates' core values as "social justice and economic opportunity".[9]

References[]

  1. ^ "Bill Gates Fast Facts". CNN. March 2, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Hagerty, James R. (September 16, 2020). "Bill Gates Sr., Father of Microsoft Founder, Dies at Age 94". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Bill Gates Sr., civic leader and father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94". The Seattle Times. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c McFadden, Robert D. (September 15, 2020). "Bill Gates Sr., Who Guided Billionaire Son's Philanthropy, Dies at 94". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  5. ^ Johnson, Gene (September 15, 2020). "Bill Gates Sr., father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94". APnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "Bill Gates Sr. at 90: A giant impact on technology, philanthropy and the Seattle region". GeekWire. November 25, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  7. ^ "Bill Gates, Bremerton native and father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94". Kitsap Sun. Associated Press. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  8. ^ "General Information – Leadership – Bill Gates Sr". GatesFoundation.org. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Glascock, Stuart. "Mighty is the Man Who Wears the Purple and the Gold". UW Alumni Magazine. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  10. ^ "PCAD – University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Gates, William H., Sr., Hall, Seattle, WA". pcad.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "William Henry Gates Sr". Philanthropic People. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "K&L Gates Mourns Passing of Longtime Partner and Humanitarian William H. Gates, Sr". www.klgates.com. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  13. ^ "The University of Washington mourns the loss of Bill Gates, Sr". UW News. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c "Mr.William H.Gates, Sr". World Justice Project. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  15. ^ "Is Bill Gates a closet liberal?". Salon.com. January 29, 1998. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  16. ^ "Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Bill Gates". NOW on PBS. September 5, 2003.
  17. ^ a b Cauce, Ana Mari (November 30, 2015). "Happy Birthday, Bill Gates Sr". University of Washington. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  18. ^ "About the Summit" (PDF). 2011. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  19. ^ "World Justice Project". Justice For All. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  20. ^ "Table of contents for Wealth and our commonwealth : why America should tax accumulated fortunes / William H. Gates, Sr., and Chuck Collins". Library of Congress.
  21. ^ "Wealth And Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes". 60 Plus Association. March 18, 2003. pp. 57–59.
  22. ^ "Bill Gates Sr.: Lessons And 'Showing Up For Life'". NPR.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  23. ^ "Bill Gates reveals personal reason he's helping fight Alzheimer's disease". The Today Show. April 10, 2019 – via today.com.
  24. ^ "Bill Gates Reveals His Father Suffers From Alzheimer's". Time. April 10, 2019.
  25. ^ Stewart, Ashley (September 15, 2020). "Bill Gates Sr., father of Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, dies at age 94". Business Insider. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  26. ^ Gates, Bill (September 15, 2020). "Remembering my father". gatesnotes.com. The Gates Notes LLC. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  27. ^ Townley, Alvin (January 2007). Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. New York: St. Martin's Press (imprint: Thomas Dunne Books). pp. 172–175. ISBN 9780312366537. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  28. ^ Ray, Mark (2007). "What It Means to Be an Eagle Scout". Scouting. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
  29. ^ "Past Presidents". KCBA.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  30. ^ "History of the Bar". WSBA.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  31. ^ issue, Columns Staff (June 2001). "Law School to return to heart of campus in new William H. Gates Hall". UW Magazine – University of Washington Magazine. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  32. ^ "National Press Club – William Gates Sr". legacy.npr.org. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  33. ^ "The University of Washington mourns the loss of Bill Gates, Sr". UW News. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  34. ^ Bernstein, Adam. "William Gates Sr., a guiding hand of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, dies at 94". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  35. ^ "William H. Gates Hall". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. July 24, 2003. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  36. ^ "Previous Recipients of the Medal of Merit". sos.wa.gov. State of Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  37. ^ "Bill Gates Sr., Theta Delta '49, Honored with 2010 Bard Award". digital.watkinsprinting.com. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  38. ^ "Office of Ceremonies: Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award Winners". washington.edu. University of Washington. Retrieved January 8, 2019.

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