Bill Gates Sr.

William Henry Gates II<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (November 30, 1925Template:SpndSeptember 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),<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> and also served as president of both the Seattle King County and Washington State Bar associations.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> He was the father of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> He graduated from Bremerton High School in 1943.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gates served in the US Army for about 2 years during World War II.<ref name= "Gates Foundation Bio Page">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4" /> He subsequently attended the University of Washington under the G.I. Bill,<ref name="Purple & Gold">Template:Cite web</ref> earning a B.A. in 1949 and a J.D. degree in 1950.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While at UW, he was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Gates co-founded the law firm Shidler McBroom & Gates in 1964,<ref name=":3" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Gates' legal practice focused on corporate, technology and disputes.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> During his career he served as president of both the Seattle/King County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gates served on the boards of numerous organizations in the Pacific Northwest, including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce,<ref name="WJP" /> King County United Way and Planned Parenthood.<ref name="Purple & Gold" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1995, he founded the Technology Alliance, whose mission is to expand technology-based employment in Washington.<ref name="WJP" />

In 1998, Gates retired from Preston Gates & Ellis.<ref name=":2" /> He served for fifteen years on the Board of Regents of the University of Washington,<ref name="UW_birthday">Template:Cite web</ref> and until his death was a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,<ref name="Purple & Gold" /> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He served as an honorary chair for the World Justice Project.<ref name="WJP">Template:Cite web</ref> The project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also the author of the book Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable cases

In 1987 Gates Sr. assisted Howard Schultz in buying the Starbucks coffee chain.<ref name="elkins-20171004">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="news18-20250516">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="laroche-20180511">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="schlosser-20200918">Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

In 1951, Gates married Mary Maxwell Gates (Template:Nee) (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.<ref name="Purple & Gold" /> He was a lifelong supporter of the Washington Huskies college football team.<ref name="UW_birthday" />

In 1996, Gates married his second wife Mimi Gardner Gates (b. 1943), who was director of the Seattle Art Museum.<ref name="Purple & Gold"/>

In 2018, it was revealed that Gates was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He died on September 14, 2020, aged 94, at his beach home on Hood Canal in Washington state.<ref name=":0"/> In a tribute, his son said that his "wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world."<ref name="death">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards and recognition

• Awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, to acknowledge his business and civic success at least 25 years after earning Eagle Scout rank.<ref name="honor">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="honor2">Template:Cite web</ref> 1941.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• President of Seattle–King County Bar Association, 1969–1970<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• President of Washington State Bar Association, 1986–1987<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Recipient of University of Washington School of Law Distinguished Alumnus, 1991<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Recipient of American Judicature Society's Herbert Harley Award, 1992<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Served on Board for Judicial Administration, Washington State Supreme Court, 1993–1995
• Served on Board of Regents of the University of Washington, 1997–2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2003<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• William H. Gates Hall at the University of Washington School of Law was named for him in 2003<ref name="DJCSpecial">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Awarded Washington Medal of Merit, 2009<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Recipient of the American Bar Association Medal (2009), the highest honor in the American legal community<ref name=":5" />
• Recipient of Chi Psi Fraternity's Albert S. Bard Award, 2010, for contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the community<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Recipient of UW Alumni Association's Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus (ASLD) Award, 2013<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bill Gerberding, who was President of the University of Washington from 1979 to 1995, described Gates as "a good man with a big heart [and] generous public spirit", while Norman Rice, former Mayor of Seattle, characterized Gates' core values as "social justice and economic opportunity".<ref name="Purple & Gold" />

Publications

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