Bill Gates Sr.

William Henry Gates, Sr. (born 1925) is an attorney and the co-chair and CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His son, William Henry Gates III, is the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world. Note: Gates, Sr. was born William Henry Gates, Jr. since his father was also named William Henry Gates. However, as the youngest Gates has become one of the most famous people in the world, the middle Gates has become known as Sr. and his son as Jr.

Gates was born in Bremerton, Washington, and enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduation from high school. He served in the army and fought in World War II. In November of 1946 he was honorably discharged from the army, and he enrolled in the University of Washington (UW) under the G.I. Bill, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1950. He married Mary Maxwell Gates, whom he met at UW, and who died in 1994. With her he had three children, Kristi, Bill, and Libby. In 1996 Gates married Mimi Gardner Gates, who is director of the Seattle Art Museum. He practiced law until 1998, primarily at the company now known as Preston Gates & Ellis (PGE), which he co-founded as Shidler & King in 1964.

In 1998, Gates retired from PGE. He currently serves on the Board of Regents for the University of Washington, and runs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates is coauthor, with Chuck Collins, of the book "Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes", a defense of estate taxation.

Received the Boy Scouts of America Eagle Award, January 13, 1941
University of Washington Law School Distinguished Alumnus, 1991
Recipient of the American Judicature Society Herbert Harley Award, 1992
Served on the Board for Judicial Administration, Washington State Supreme Court, 1993-1995
President of the Washington State Bar Association, 1986-1987
Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2003
Has a building William H. Gates Hall at the University of Washington Law School named for him, 2003