Few have served NCTM as long and as continuously as Jim Gates. As NCTM's executive director for 31 years, Gates saw the Council through the debut of the NCTM Standards and a period of high growth before retiring in 1995.
Gates's enjoyment of mathematics and working with people helped launch his career, which he began as a high school mathematics teacher in Ohio.
In addition to his leadership at NCTM, Gates's contributions to mathematics education include his service as a university lecturer and a leading player in the development of the Center for Educational Associations in Reston, Virginia.
After his retirement in May of 1995, Gates became a board member for the Junior Engineering Technical Society and the MATHCOUNTS Foundation. He was also a member of the Mathematical Association of America's Committee for the Mathematical Education of Teachers.
Jim died on October 10, 2019.