William Gates Sr. was a lawyer and philanthropist who was the father of Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.Born and raised in Washington state, Gates was a U.S.
Army veteran of World War II and earned his law degree at the University of Washington after the war. He cofounded the law firm Shidler McBroom & Gates in 1964, where he practiced until his retirement in 1998.
Shortly before his retirement, Gates was asked by his son to help sift through the many appeals for charity he had received due to his immense success with Microsoft.
Gates turned the project into a massive charitable endeavor that became the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates managed his son’s foundation for years, reviewing grant proposals and writing checks.
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