Proposing a New Inductee to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans: William “Bill” Henry Gates III
The purpose of this paper is to develop a relevant definition of what it means to be a “great American” today, and to demonstrate what it takes to satisfy these definitional criteria. In the information technology field, one name stands above the rest in personifying the types of enduring contributions to the nation that make an individual a “great American.” Indeed, William “Bill” Henry Gates III is an exemplary model of a highly successful modern business leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In support of this nomination, an informative summary of Gates’ life and description of his contributions to the nation are followed by a summary of the biographical research and important findings concerning nominating Gates for the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the conclusion.
Review and Discussion
Established in 1900 to honor the best of the best in American leadership, the Hall of Fame for Great Americans features 98 bronze busts nestled in an outdoor colonnade at Bronx Community College was the first “hall of fame” in the country. When it was established at the fin de siècle, induction into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans was considered a major achievement, and even the elections for new nominees received nationwide press coverage (Dolnick1). In fact, some contemporary observers suggest that the institution was so famous that it was referenced in the motion picture, “The Wizard of Oz,” when the Munchkins proclaim that Dorothy will be “. . . a bust, be a bust, be a bust in the Hall of Fame!” (as cited in Dolnick 2).
Following the sale of the Hall of Fame in 1973, however, the collection of bronze busts of great Americans has been largely ignored and forgotten despite the luminaries that are honored there and there have been no new inductees since 1976 (Dolnick 2). Clearly, what the Hall of Fame needs at present is some fresh blood in its hallowed halls who reflect the increasing diversity as well as the latest enduring contributions that individuals have made to American society and culture. As noted in the introduction, one such individual who satisfies the definitional criteria for a great American is Bill Gates whose life and contributions are discussed...
Works Cited
“About the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.” Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2018. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/.
“Bill Gates biography.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 15 Mar. 2018, www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520.
“Bill Gates Biography: Success Story of Microsoft Co-Founder.” Astrum People, 2018, astrumpeople.com/bill-gates-biography/.
Cumberland, Sarah. “Awareness to Action: Regina Rabinovich Manages a Portfolio of More Than US$ 1 Billion of Grants in Infectious Disease Work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She Talks with Sarah Cumberland about the Challenges and Successes of Working in Global Health.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 89, no. 6 (June 2011), pp. 400-403.
Dolnick, Sam. “A Hall of Fame, Forgotten and Forlorn.” The New York Times, 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/nyregion/05metjournal.html
Wendell, Bryan. (2018) “What percentage of Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts?” Bryan on Scouting. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/03/30/what-percentage-of-boy-scouts-become-eagle-scouts/.
Another broad theme used in this article is the fact that technology is complicated, and it is difficult to assess whether or not a person is a great thinker using technology. The person may, truly, be an original, or he or she may just know how to adapt others' findings to the modern world and customer desires. Finally, Celernter discusses Gates' personality in terms of his contribution to society.
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