BILL AND MELINDA GATES DIGITAL AGE PHILANTHROPISTS college He became a successful lawyer and was the assistant city attorney for Bremerton Washington His father s strong work ethic influenced young Bill James Maxwell Bill's grandfather on his mother s side founded the National City In this photograph from 2002 Bill Gates Sr Nelson Mandela and former U S president Jimmy Carter visit a clinic near Johannesburg South
GROWING UP Bank of Seattle The Maxwells used their position in society to fund charities and social organizations They both volunteered for numerous causes including the Children's Orthopedic Hospital and the United Way Their charitable efforts had a lasting effect on Bill The Gates family was competitive even with each other Bill learned and excelled at the card game bridge at a young age His grandmother who taught him to play called him Trey which is a card term for three She taught him to think smart whether it was in a game of Monopoly bridge or homework QUICK FACT Bill s father's full name was originally William Henry Gates III However he changed III to Jr when he joined the army So Bill is really William Henry Gates
BILL AND MELINDA GATES DIGITAL AGE PHILANTHROPISTS A GIFTED LEARNER Bill showed signs of genius early in life He was particularly gifted in math but most subjects came easy for him He was often bored in grade school and found ways to challenge himself At age eight he began reading encyclopedias for fun He couldn't believe other people weren t as interested in reading thinking and learning as he was Bill was always up for an adventure and was very competitive At school he was labeled a geek and was even bullied But he didn't let it bother him Bill joined the Boy Scouts and found an outlet for his sense of adventure He loved hiking and outdoor activities QUICK FACT Melinda is also quite the athlete She has completed the Seattle Marathon and even climbed Washington's 14 410 foot 4 392 meter Mount Rainier Io
GROWING UP As he approached his teenage years Bill's boredom in School caused him to start arguing with his teachers and even his mother He showed little effort or concern for schoolwork yet Many former Boy Scouts like Bill he still got good Gates have gone on to leadership grades His roles including U S presidents John F Kennedy and Gerald Ford parents were worried when he showed no effort in school so they decided to send him to a psychologist Bill used it as a chance to read about psychology and match wits with the psychologist After a year the psychologist told Bill's mom there was no use trying to beat him because Bill would never give up Bill's parents II
