Gates Sr., 84, keeps working

Mar 7, 2010 — The Arizona Daily Star

Coley Ward

Mar. 7, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Served in World War II. Graduated from the University of Washington School of Law. Got married and had three children.

William Henry Gates Sr. was well on his way to living a successful, relatively low-profile life.

Then his son, Bill, started a company called Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and things got interesting.

Bill Gates Jr., who eventually became the richest man in the world, cast a long shadow.

But his enormous wealth also created opportunities.

When Bill Gates Jr. created the William H. Gates Foundation in 1994, Bill Gates Sr. signed on as director.

When the foundation merged with the Gates Learning Foundation to create the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, Gates Sr. became a co-chair.

Heading those foundations has offered Gates Sr. a window into the complexities of the philanthropy world.

Watching his son grow from rebellious youth to business mogul to social- justice crusader has been a kick.

Last April, Bill Gates Sr. published a book that is part-memoir, part-self-help. "Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime" is a collection of family stories and thoughts on how to live a successful life through hard work, generosity and curiosity.

"Work on this book really started because I had stories and perspectives I wanted to share with my own family, especially my grandchildren," Gates Sr. says.

He'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. He'll do a presentation in the UA Mall Tent.

Bill Gates Sr. recently answered questions through e-mail.

"Showing Up for Life" stresses the importance of hard work. Is "showing up" a tough sell?

"Woody Allen once said that '80 percent of success is showing up.' I am convinced that he was on to something. I find that we all have the instinct to work hard for the people we love and the causes we believe in. All we have to do is identify these and show up, and that instinct will take over.

"I'm 84 now and I still love working. In particular, working as a part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve people's lives is consuming, humbling and worthwhile. I do relax, more now than at any previous time. But I still show up and intend to keep doing so."

In a recent op-ed, you said you believe that one day soon the American people will recognize the public-education system is in crisis and will insist on reform. Why are you so optimistic?

"We rank somewhere around 20th in the world in the effectiveness of our efforts at education. Today, only a third of students entering high school will graduate with the skills they need to go on to higher education. And though some people say that not every child is cut out for college, the reality is that if we're going to maintain a healthy and thriving middle class, we need to be developing a work force that knows how to innovate and compete in a global economy.

"There is a significant and growing recognition that our system is inferior. It is clear to me that this growing recognition about where we are -- beginning with the President and the secretary of education -- will ultimately lead to fundamental improvement."

What are some of the challenges you've encountered running a huge foundation?

"I would say that some of our greatest challenges are those having to do with creating fundamental health and development changes in countries where there is but little infrastructure and inadequate level of expertise."

Did you know

Gates, a proponent of strengthening the estate tax, has written a book on the subject, called "Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes."

"Letting the tax disappear entirely ... will cost upwards of a trillion dollars in lost revenue; revenue that supports vital public systems -- including transportation and energy infrastructure, education and health care -- that are the foundation of our broad-based prosperity and economic stability," he wrote in a December op-ed piece on the popular Web site The Huffington Post.

Contact reporter Coley Ward at 807-8429 or cward@azstarnet.com

Newstex ID: KRTB-0014-42646732