Bill Gates Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Gates Sr.
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Gates visiting the Naz Foundation located in India in 2004
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William Henry Gates II
November 30, 1925 Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
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| Died | September 14, 2020 (aged 94) Hood Canal, Washington, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Occupation | Lawyer, philanthropist |
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| Children | 3; including Bill Gates |
William Henry Gates II (born November 30, 1925 – died September 14, 2020), known to many as Bill Gates Sr., was an American lawyer, a generous giver (philanthropist), and a community leader. He started a law firm called Shidler McBroom & Gates. He also led important lawyer groups in Washington state. He was the father of Bill Gates, who helped start Microsoft, a famous computer company.
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Early Life and Education
Bill Gates Sr. was born in Bremerton, Washington, in 1925. His parents were Lillian Elizabeth Rice and William Henry Gates Jr. His grandfather was a furniture store owner and also looked for gold during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898.
Gates Sr. finished Bremerton High School in 1943. After high school, he joined the U.S. Army and served for three years during World War II.
After the war, he went to the University of Washington. He used a special program called the G.I. Bill that helped soldiers go to college. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949 and a law degree (J.D.) in 1950.
A Career in Law and Community Service
In 1964, Bill Gates Sr. helped start a law firm called Shidler McBroom & Gates. This firm later became part of a bigger one known as K&L Gates. He worked as a lawyer there until 1998.
His legal work mainly focused on helping businesses and dealing with technology-related issues. During his time as a lawyer, he was the president of the Seattle/King County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association. These are groups for lawyers in the area.
Gates Sr. was also part of many important groups in the Pacific Northwest. He served on the boards of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and King County United Way. In 1995, he started the Technology Alliance. This group helps create more technology jobs in Washington state.
Retirement and Philanthropy
In 1998, Gates Sr. retired from his law firm. He then spent 15 years on the Board of Regents for the University of Washington. Until he passed away, he was a co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This huge foundation was started by his son Bill Gates and his daughter-in-law Melinda Gates.
He also served on the board of the retail company Costco Wholesale starting in 2003. He helped start the Pacific Health Summit and was an Honorary Chair for the World Justice Project. This project works to make sure that the Rule of Law is strong around the world. This helps communities become fairer and have more opportunities.
Gates Sr. also wrote books. He co-wrote Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes with Chuck Collins. This book talks about why taxing large fortunes can be good for society. He also wrote Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime.
Family Life
In 1951, Bill Gates Sr. married Mary Maxwell Gates. They met at the University of Washington. They were married until she passed away in 1994. They had three children: Kristianne, Bill, and Libby. His two daughters, Kristi Blake and Libby Armintrout, are still very involved with the University of Washington. He was a big fan of the Washington Huskies college football team his whole life.
In 1996, Gates Sr. married his second wife, Mimi Gardner Gates. She was the director of the Seattle Art Museum.
In 2018, it was shared that Gates Sr. was dealing with Alzheimer's disease. He passed away on September 14, 2020, at the age of 94. He died at his beach home on Hood Canal in Washington state. His son, Bill Gates, said that his father's "wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world."
Awards and Special Recognition
Bill Gates Sr. received many awards and honors for his work and contributions:
- He earned the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. This award recognizes business and community success for those who were Eagle Scouts.
- He was President of the Seattle-King County Bar Association from 1969 to 1970.
- He was President of the Washington State Bar Association from 1986 to 1987.
- In 1991, he received the Distinguished Alumnus award from the University of Washington School of Law.
- He received the Herbert Harley Award from the American Judicature Society in 1992.
- He served on the Board for Judicial Administration for the Washington State Supreme Court from 1993 to 1995.
- He was on the Board of Regents for the University of Washington from 1997 to 2012.
- He was brought into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003.
- The William H. Gates Hall at the University of Washington's School of Law was named after him in 2003.
- He was given Washington Medal of Merit in 2009.
- He received the ABA Medal in 2009. This is the highest honor in the American legal community.
- He received the Albert S. Bard Award from the Chi Psi Fraternity in 2010. This was for his contributions to the community's intellectual and cultural life.
- In 2013, he received the Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus (ASLD) Award from the UW Alumni Association. This is the highest honor given to a University of Washington alumnus.
Bill Gerberding, who was the president of the University of Washington for many years, called Gates Sr. "a good man with a big heart [and] generous public spirit." Former Seattle mayor Norman Rice said that Gates Sr. believed strongly in "social justice and economic opportunity."
See also
In Spanish: Bill Gates Sr. para niños
