Bill Gates Sr.

William Henry Gates II (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), and also served as president of both the Seattle King County and Washington State Bar associations. He was the father of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. He graduated from Bremerton High School in 1943.

Gates served in the US Army for about 2 years during World War II. earning a B.A. in 1949 and a J.D. degree in 1950. While at UW, he was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity.

Career Gates co-founded the law firm Shidler McBroom & Gates in 1964,

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

Gates served on the boards of numerous organizations in the Pacific Northwest, including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, In 1995, he founded the Technology Alliance, whose mission is to expand technology-based employment in Washington. and until his death was a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, He served as an honorary chair for the World Justice Project. The project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.

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. He was also the author of the book Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime.

Notable cases In 1987, Gates Sr. assisted Howard Schultz in buying the Starbucks coffee chain.

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 died on September 14, 2020, aged 94, at his beach home on Hood Canal in Washington state.

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. 1941. President of Seattle–King County Bar Association, 1969–1970 President of Washington State Bar Association, 1986–1987 Recipient of University of Washington School of Law Distinguished Alumnus, 1991 Recipient of American Judicature Society's Herbert Harley Award, 1992 Served on Board for Judicial Administration, Washington State Supreme Court, 1993–1995 Served on Board of Regents of the University of Washington, 1997–2012 Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2003 William H. Gates Hall at the University of Washington School of Law was named for him in 2003 Awarded Washington Medal of Merit, 2009 Recipient of the American Bar Association Medal (2009), the highest honor in the American legal community Recipient of UW Alumni Association's Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus (ASLD) Award, 2013

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".

Publications