Accomplished Chinese Americans:

Gary Locke 

Date of Birth:		January 21, 1950 

Place of Birth:		Seattle, Washington 

Education:		A Yale graduate in 1972, a Law degree from Bost University in 1975. 
Current Status:	Governor, the State of Washington. 

	Gary Locke was elected as the 21st governor of the State of Washington on November 5, 1996, with a 58% majority vote.  He is the first Chinese American governor in the U.S. history. He began his political carrer by serving as a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County (including Seattle) in the State of Washington.  In 1982, Locke won a seat in the Washington State Legislature.  During his 11 years in the Legislature, Locke served on the Judiaciary and Appropriations Committees, and for his last five years was the Chairman of Appropriations Committee.  In 1990, the Seattle Times rated Locke No. 1 in effectiveness among Puget Sound area lawmakers. 

	In 1993, he won the election for Chief Executive of King County by the highest margin ever recorded for that office.  King County is the largest county in Washington State, and the 13th largest in the nation.   During his term, he gained national praises for his work on the city's growth management plan.  He led reforms to streamline regulatory processes and reduce the cost of development; he alsoimplemented community policing, managed the county jail system so that no inmates have been released early; brought together businesses, labor representatives and environmentlists to achieve compromise and progress rather than deadlock; King county has successfully implemented a growth management plan that enables development to occur while also ensuring that open space is setaside and protected. 
Locke is the second generation Chinese American.  His grandfather, came to Washington State at the turn of the century and worked as a houseboy in Olympia, not far from the State Capital.  He then returned to China, where Gary's father, James, was born. The family emigrated to Seattle when James Locke was 13 years old.  James Locke served under Genral Patton in World War II and took part in the Normandy invasion in 1944.  Gary is the second of five children.  He was born in Seattle in 1950 and for the first six years of his life, he and his parents and the children lived in Yesler Terrace, a housing project for low incomes and families of World War II veterans. 

	Gowing up in Seattle, Locke worked at his father's restaurant and later a samll grocery store his father owned for 20 years.  He became an Eagle Scout and graaduated with honors from Seattle's Franklin Highschool in 1968.  Locke attended Yale University and received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1972.  He earned his Law degree from Boston University in 1975.  Gary Locke supports his way through college with financial aid, scholarships and part-time jobs. 

	Gary Locke has become a positive role model for many young aspiring Asian American politicians.  He said: "My commitment to the State of Washington is based on an appreciation for the opportunities that have been enjoyed by the generations that came before me, and also on my desire to make sure those same opportunities are available for the generations that follow."