He was also an aviation pioneer, having helped the Wright Brothers assemble their aircraft at Kill Devil Hill on the Outer Banks.
[4][6] Tate was responsible for keeping lit a string of 42 lights stretching over 65 miles of waterway.
During his years of service, William J. Tate was cited frequently in the Report of the Commissioner of Lighthouses for saving lives and property, which is no small feat.
His report states: "This keeper made the trip along the river in an airplane, flying, about on a level with the lights and within 50 feet of the same, and it was easily seen whether they were burning."
[4] The USCG coastal buoy tender William Tate (WLM-560) based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is named after him.