Phil Knight

Lore & Background

Phil Knight was born in Portland, Oregon, to Bill Knight, a lawyer turned newspaper publisher, and Lota Cloy Knight. He grew up in the Eastmoreland neighborhood and attended Cleveland High School. After his father refused him a summer job at his newspaper, Knight worked at the rival Oregonian, tabulating sports scores and running 7 miles home each morning. He earned a business degree from the University of Oregon in 1959, where he ran track under coach Bill Bowerman, and later earned an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1962. While at Stanford, he wrote a paper on importing Japanese running shoes, which led him to secure distribution rights for Tiger brand shoes from Onitsuka Co. in Japan. In 1964, he and Bowerman formed Blue Ribbon Sports by handshake, which was renamed Nike in 1971. Knight initially sold shoes from his green Plymouth Valiant at track meets. He worked as a CPA at Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse before going full-time with Blue Ribbon Sports in 1969.

Reader's Guide

Phil Knight's significance lies in his co-founding of Nike, which grew from a small import business into a dominant global sports brand. His early insight into the potential of low-cost, high-quality Japanese shoes, combined with Bowerman's design input, created a company that revolutionized athletic footwear and apparel. Knight's leadership saw Nike develop iconic products and relationships with athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Beyond business, his philanthropy has been substantial: he donated $105 million to Stanford's business school, $400 million to launch the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, and hundreds of millions to the University of Oregon and Oregon Health & Science University. His memoir, Shoe Dog, details the company's journey. Knight also owns Laika, a stop motion animation studio that produced films like Coraline. His legacy includes both commercial success and significant educational and medical philanthropy, making him a transformative figure in business and giving.

Did You Know?

• Knight ran a mile in 4 minutes, 13 seconds as a middle-distance runner at the University of Oregon.
• Nike's 'swoosh' logo was designed by graphic design student Carolyn Davidson for $35 in 1971.
• Knight's son Matthew died at age 34 from a heart attack or cardiac arrest while scuba diving in El Salvador in 2004.
• Knight's memoir Shoe Dog was released in 2016 and became a New York Times bestseller.