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Bill Gates Sr.

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Bill Gates Sr.
Gates, Sr., visits the Naz Foundation's care centre for HIV Positive children, during his visit to India
Born
William Henry Gates II

(1925-11-30) November 30, 1925 (age 98)
Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Washington
OccupationLawyer (retired)
Spouse(s)Mary Maxwell Gates
Mimi Gardner Gates
ChildrenKristianne Gates
Bill Gates
Libby Gates
Parent(s)William Henry Gates I
Lillian Elizabeth Rice

William Henry "Bill" Gates (born William Henry Gates II; November 30, 1925) is a retired American attorney and philanthropist and author of the book Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime. He is the father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

One of a line of businessmen named 'William H. Gates' and sometimes called 'William Gates, Jr.' in his career, he is now generally known as William Henry Gates, Sr due to the greater prominence of his son.

Life and career

Gates was born in Bremerton, Washington, to William Henry Gates I or Sr. (Bremerton, Washington, March 14, 1891 – Bremerton, Washington, August 17, 1969), and wife (married in Tacoma, Washington, July 14, 1913) Lillian Elizabeth Rice (Bremerton, Washington, April 23, 1891 – Bremerton, Washington, November 27, 1966).[1] He was the third in his family to have the same name, his grandfather being the first William Henry Gates. His paternal grandmother was German and his maternal grandmother was English.[2] Gates was an active member of a Boy Scout troop for several years, and earned the Eagle Scout Award in 1944. After high school he enlisted in the United States Army, changing his name to William Gates, Jr. to avoid the appearance of elitism.[3] He fought in World War II and was honorably discharged in November 1946.

He attended the University of Washington (UW) under the G.I. Bill, where he earned a B.A. in 1949 and a law degree in 1950. While at Washington he joined the Chi Psi Fraternity. He practiced law until 1998, primarily with the law firm which he co-founded as Shidler & King in 1964, later known as Preston Gates & Ellis LLP; the firm was merged into the firm now known as K&L Gates, although Bill Gates, Sr. is not affiliated with the firm. Gates also served on the board of Planned Parenthood.[4][5]

In 1998, Gates retired from PGE. He currently serves on the Board of Regents for the University of Washington, and is a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which his son Bill and his son's wife Melinda founded. He has served as a director for Costco Wholesale, a bulk retail corporation, since 2003. He is also a founding co-chair of the Pacific Health Summit.[6] He has adopted the suffix "Sr." to distinguish himself from his more famous son.

Gates is co-author, with Chuck Collins, of the book Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes, a defense of the policies promoted by the estate tax.[7][8]

He married Mary Maxwell Gates, whom he met at UW, and who died in 1994. They had three children: Kristianne, Bill, and Libby. In 1996 Gates married Mimi Gardner Gates, who was the director of the Seattle Art Museum.

World Justice Project

William H. Gates, Sr. serves as an Honorary Co-Chair for the World Justice Project. The World Justice Project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.

Awards and recognition

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Pierce County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1876-2013 - William H Gates Jr - Lillian Elizabeth Rice". Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  2. ^ Ancestry of Bill Gates
  3. ^ Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews (1993). Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself The Richest Man in America. Touchstone. ISBN 0-385-42075-7.
  4. ^ "Is Bill Gates a closet liberal?". Salon.com. January 29, 1998. p. 2.
  5. ^ "Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Bill Gates". NOW on PBS. September 5, 2003.
  6. ^ "About the Summit" (PDF). 2011. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Table of contents for Library of Congress control number 2002011326". Library of Congress.
  8. ^ "Wealth And Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes". 60 Plus Association. March 18, 2003. (excerpted from book, p.57-59)
  9. ^ Townley, Alvin (2006-12-26). Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 172–175. ISBN 0-312-36653-1. Retrieved 2006-12-29. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ Ray, Mark (2007). "What It Means to Be an Eagle Scout". Scouting Magazine. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved 2007-01-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ "William H. Gates Hall." Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved on Friday March 2, 2012.
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