Mary Maxwell Gates

Mary Maxwell Gates ( born July 5, 1929 in Seattle, † June 9, 1994 ibid ) was an American businesswoman and board member of various organizations and commercial enterprises. She was the mother of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Life

Mary Gates was born in Seattle as Mary Maxwell. She studied at the University of Washington in 1950 made ​​her degree in education. In the early 1950s, Gates taught as a teacher.

After her husband co-founded the law firm of Preston Gates & Ellis in Seattle, was devoted Mary Gates strengthened public and charitable activities. She was a board member of numerous economic and cultural associations and federations. She was, inter alia, Member of the Board of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Since 1980, Mary Maxwell Gates was a board member of United Way National, a major American non-profit organization. In addition, she led Seattle United Way of King County, the regional section of United Way.

Mary Maxwell Gates was also from 1975 to 1993 Member of the Board of the University of Washington.

The Board activities by Mary Maxwell Gates thereby limited, however, not only to the non-profit sector. Mary Maxwell Gates also worked for many years in various Board functions for large business enterprises. These included: First Interstate Bank of Washington; Unigard Security Insurance Group; Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company (later U.S. WEST Communications ) and KIRO Incorporated.

In many of their Board functions she was the first woman to hold such a position.

Mary and Bill Gates Senior, have three children: Bill, Kristi and Libby.