Gates, wife, father receive doctorates

SEATTLE, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- The University of Washington has awarded honorary doctorates to Microsoft's Bill Gates, his wife Melinda and father William H. Gates, school officials say.

It was the first time the university has bestowed degrees on an entire family, UW President Mark Emmert said Sunday during the university's 2008 Freshman Convocation, the Seattle Times reported.

"No family has contributed more profoundly to the success of our university than the Gates family," Emmert said.

Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp.'s co-founder and chairman, his family and charitable foundation have given a total of about $446 million to the University of Washington, officials say, while Microsoft as a company has donated nearly $39 million, the newspaper reported.