Gates Family

The award is named for the William H. Gates family as a tribute to their history of outstanding volunteer service and exemplary philanthropy to the UW

William H. Gates II attended the University of Washington on the G.I. Bill after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He earned his law degree in 1950 and launched what would prove to be a long and successful career as a founding partner of the law firm Preston Gates & Ellis. After graduating from the UW, Bill married Mary Maxwell, whom he had met when both were students at the University. Their 44-year marriage produced three children, Kristianne, Bill, and Libby, and an impressive record of service to their community.

Involved in more than two dozen local charities, including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Seattle Symphony, and United Way, Bill and Mary also took an active role in the affairs of the University. Mary served on the UW Foundation Board of Directors, the UW Medical Center Board, and the School of Business Administration’s Advisory Board. She was a UW Regent for 18 years and an outspoken champion of undergraduate education.

Mary’s death in 1994 left a void deeply felt in the UW community. Mary Gates Hall, which houses the UW’s Office of Undergraduate Education, stands as a testament to her many contributions to advancing the University. In addition, Mary’s family has honored her with two named endowments at the UW, both directed to scholarships for undergraduate students. The Mary Gates Endowed Scholarship was established in 1989 by husband Bill to honor Mary’s stunning record of service to the UW. The Mary Gates Endowment for Students, established in 1995 by son Bill and his wife, Melinda, has enabled hundreds of students to pursue a University of Washington education. Annual proceeds from the Mary Gates Endowment for Students—the University’s largest—attract exceptionally able high school seniors to the UW, support student research with world-renown faculty, and develop student leadership potential through partnerships with faculty and community mentors.

Bill Sr. has continued to give back to his alma mater, contributing generously to the law school, intercollegiate athletics, and diversity initiatives, among other areas of the University. He serves as a UW Regent and was chair of the Foundation Board from 2001 to 2006.  His leadership of Campaign UW: Creating Futures, a major fundraising campaign to benefit the UW, helped to ensure the future strength of the institution. The Campaign concluded June 30, 2008 successfully raising $2.68 billion.

In 1996, Bill married Mimi Gardner, whose direction of the Seattle Art Museum gives her distinct perspectives and insight in her role as a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board. Bill and Mimi give generously to programs across campus, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to priority areas of the University and its Foundation Board.

In addition to his numerous other contributions to the UW, Bill Sr. also is co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the world's largest philanthropic organiziation. Under the elder Bill Gates’ direction, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a powerful ally in advancing the University’s mission of service to the greater community. Support for programs housed within the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and the College of Education have brought learning technologies to underserved communities and promoted nationwide advances in public education at the K-12 level. The Foundation’s commitment to funding medical discovery and improving global health has fueled groundbreaking work by the UW Medicine.

In addition to gifts made through their Foundation, Bill and Melinda also have contributed generously to enable the construction of a new home for the UW College of Engineering and the UW School of Law. In their outstanding support of these critical areas, Bill and Melinda Gates have made contributions of financial assets to the University that are unmatched in the institution’s history.

Bill’s sisters, Kristianne Blake and Libby Gates Armintrout, are active in numerous civic organizations in their communities. Both have made outstanding contributions to the UW and to higher education in the state of Washington. Kristianne is past president of the Junior League of Spokane and the United Way of Spokane County and is a former member of the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, a state agency committed to increasing opportunities for Washington residents to obtain a university education. In 2006 Governor Gregoire appointed Kristianne to the UW Board of Regents.

Libby is past president of the Make a Wish Foundation and a board member of the Seattle Schools Fund for Excellence and the UW Carlson Leadership and Public Service Office. She and her husband, Doug, are generous contributors to the UW, having made substantial contributions to intercollegiate athletics and medicine, as well as other areas of the University, and providing critical support to the restoration of Hec Edmundson Pavilion and the endowment of a chair in Women’s Sports Medicine.

Recipients of the Gates Volunteer Service Award exemplify the highest standards of service to the University of Washington. Those standards have been set through the singular vision and generosity of the William H. Gates family, whose volunteer service, commitment of time and philanthropy continues to advance the University of Washington in profound and enduring ways.

For any questions please contact: UW Foundation