Sylvester James Gates, Jr. known as S. James Gates, Jr, or Jim Gates, is an American theoretical physicist, known for work onsupersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory. Gates was born on December 15, 1950 in Tampa, Florida to Charlie Engels and Sylvester James Gates, Sr. He earned his B.S. degrees in mathematics and physics in 1973. Gates remained at MIT for four more years, earning his Ph.D. degree in physics in 1977. His thesis, “Symmetry Principles in Selected Problems of Field Theory,” was the first at MIT to deal with supersymmetry. On February 1, 2013, Gates was a recipient of the National Medal of Science. Gates’s work in mathematics and theoretical physics has greatly contributed to knowledge about supersymmetry, supergravity and string theory. He has written or co-written over 120 research papers and articles.