Bill Gates Sr. Explained

Bill Gates Sr.
Birth Name:William Henry Gates II
Birth Date:30 November 1925
Birth Place:Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
Death Date:September 14, 2020 (aged 94)
Death Place:Hood Canal, Washington
Alma Mater:University of Washington (BA, JD)
Occupation:Attorney, philanthropist, civic leader
Children:3, including Bill Gates
Parents:Bill Gates l

William Henry Gates II[1] (November 30, 1925September 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.

Early life and education

Gates was born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1925, and was the son of Lillian Elizabeth Rice (1891–1966) and William Henry Gates (1891–1969), who was himself the son of William Henry Gates, a furniture store owner and gold prospector during the Dawson Gold Rush of 1898.[4] [5] [6] He graduated from Bremerton High School in 1943.[7]

Gates served in the US Army for three years during World War II.[8] 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, 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.[12]

Gates' legal practice focused on corporate, technology and disputes.[13] During his career he served as president of both the Seattle/King County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association.[14]

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

In 1998, Gates retired from Preston Gates & Ellis. 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, 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.[19] The project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.[20]

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.[21] [22] He was also the author of the book Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime.[23]

Personal life

In 1951, Gates married Mary Maxwell Gates (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. He was a lifelong supporter of the Washington Huskies college football team.

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.[24] [25] He died on September 14, 2020, aged 94, at his beach home on Hood Canal in Washington state.[6] In a tribute, his son said that his "wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world."[26] [27]

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".

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bill Gates Fast Facts. CNN. March 2, 2018. June 24, 2018.
  2. News: Hagerty. James R.. September 16, 2020. Bill Gates Sr., Father of Microsoft Founder, Dies at Age 94. en-US. Wall Street Journal. September 16, 2020. 0099-9660.
  3. Web site: September 15, 2020. Bill Gates Sr., civic leader and father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94. September 16, 2020. The Seattle Times. en-US.
  4. Web site: September 15, 2020. Bill Gates Sr., father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94. September 16, 2020 . APnews.com. Associated Press . Johnson . Gene .
  5. Web site: 2015-11-25. Bill Gates Sr. at 90: A giant impact on technology, philanthropy and the Seattle region. 2020-09-19. GeekWire. en-US.
  6. News: McFadden. Robert D.. September 15, 2020. Bill Gates Sr., Who Guided Billionaire Son's Philanthropy, Dies at 94. en-US . The New York Times . September 16, 2020. 0362-4331.
  7. Web site: Associated Press. Bill Gates, Bremerton native and father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94. 2021-03-16. Kitsap Sun. en-US.
  8. Web site: General Information – Leadership – Bill Gates Sr. . GatesFoundation.org . April 5, 2020.
  9. Web site: Mighty is the Man Who Wears the Purple and the Gold . Stuart. Glascock . UW Alumni Magazine. January 9, 2019. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109204813/https://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns-magazine/june-2013/features/gates/. January 9, 2019.
  10. Web site: PCAD – University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Gates, William H. Sr., Hall, Seattle, WA. September 16, 2020. pcad.lib.washington.edu.
  11. Web site: William Henry Gates Sr.. September 16, 2020. Philanthropic People. en-US.
  12. Web site: K&L Gates Mourns Passing of Longtime Partner and Humanitarian William H. Gates Sr.. September 16, 2020. www.klgates.com. en-US.
  13. Web site: K&L Gates Remembers Bill Gates' Lawyer Father . 2023-01-19 . news.bloomberglaw.com . en.
  14. Web site: The University of Washington mourns the loss of Bill Gates Sr.. September 16, 2020. UW News. en.
  15. Web site: Is Bill Gates a closet liberal? . 2 . Salon.com . January 29, 1998 . August 4, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070918043004/http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/01/cov_29feature2.html . September 18, 2007 . dead .
  16. Web site: Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Bill Gates . NOW on PBS . September 5, 2003.
  17. Web site: Happy Birthday, Bill Gates Sr.. University of Washington. Ana Mari. Cauce. November 30, 2015. January 8, 2019.
  18. Web site: About the Summit . 1 . 2011 . January 9, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120302222048/http://pacifichealthsummit.org/about/About_the_Pacific_Health_Summit.pdf . March 2, 2012 . dead .
  19. Web site: Mr.William H.Gates Sr.. World Justice Project. January 9, 2019. June 20, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200620235302/https://worldjusticeproject.org/about-us/who-we-are/honorary-chairs/william-h_gates-sr. dead.
  20. Web site: World Justice Project. September 16, 2020. Justice For All. en-US. November 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221109123434/https://www.justiceforall2030.org/supporter/world-justice-project/. dead.
  21. Web site: Table of contents for Wealth and our commonwealth : why America should tax accumulated fortunes / William H. Gates Sr., and Chuck Collins . Library of Congress.
  22. Web site: Wealth And Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes . . March 18, 2003. 57–59.
  23. Web site: Bill Gates Sr.: Lessons And 'Showing Up For Life' . September 16, 2020. NPR.org . en.
  24. Web site: Bill Gates reveals personal reason he's helping fight Alzheimer's disease . today.com. . April 10, 2019.
  25. Bill Gates Reveals His Father Suffers From Alzheimer's . . April 10, 2019.
  26. News: Bill Gates Sr., father of Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, dies at age 94. Business Insider. Ashley. Stewart. September 15, 2020. September 15, 2020.
  27. Web site: Remembering my father. gatesnotes.com. Bill. Gates. Bill Gates. 15 September 2020. The Gates Notes LLC . 16 September 2020.
  28. Book: Townley, Alvin. January 2007. Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. St. Martin's Press (imprint: Thomas Dunne Books). New York. 172–175. 9780312366537. January 8, 2019.
  29. Web site: Ray . Mark . 2007 . What It Means to Be an Eagle Scout . Scouting. January 5, 2007.
  30. Web site: William Henry Gates II.
  31. Web site: Past Presidents. September 16, 2020. KCBA.org.
  32. Web site: History of the Bar. September 16, 2020. WSBA.org.
  33. Web site: issue. Columns Staff . June 2001. Law School to return to heart of campus in new William H. Gates Hall. September 16, 2020. UW Magazine – University of Washington Magazine.
  34. Web site: National Press Club – William Gates Sr.. September 16, 2020. legacy.npr.org.
  35. Web site: The University of Washington mourns the loss of Bill Gates Sr.. September 16, 2020. UW News. en.
  36. News: Bernstein. Adam. William Gates Sr., a guiding hand of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, dies at 94. en-US. Washington Post. September 16, 2020. 0190-8286.
  37. Web site: William H. Gates Hall. July 24, 2003. Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. March 2, 2012.
  38. Web site: State of Washington Secretary of State . Previous Recipients of the Medal of Merit . September 16, 2020. sos.wa.gov.
  39. Web site: Bill Gates Sr., Theta Delta '49, Honored with 2010 Bard Award . September 16, 2020. digital.watkinsprinting.com.
  40. Web site: Office of Ceremonies: Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award Winners. University of Washington. washington.edu. January 8, 2019.