An innovator steps down.Byline: The Register-Guard They don't call the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. Nike U. for nothing. Nike founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Phil Knight This article is about the co-founder of Nike, Inc.. For the guitarist of Shihad, see Phil Knight (musician). Philip H. Knight (born February 24, 1938) is the co-founder and former CEO of Nike, Inc.. is the university's largest benefactor ben·e·fac·tor n. One that gives aid, especially financial aid. [Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin benefacere, to do a service; see benefaction. by an order of magnitude A change in quantity or volume as measured by the decimal point. For example, from tens to hundreds is one order of magnitude. Tens to thousands is two orders of magnitude; tens to millions is three orders of magnitude, etc. , having financed the UO's law school, its library renovation, its football stadium expansion and much else. News that Knight is stepping down as the boss of the company that generated all that money, while retaining the title of board chairman, is big news for the UO, and for Oregon. Nike is a major presence in the state, and not just because it's the only Fortune 500 company based in Oregon. The stories of how Knight sold shoes from the trunk of his car, and of how UO track coach Bill Bowerman William J. Bowerman (born February 19, 1911 in Fossil, Oregon, died December 24, 1999) was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. He was a very successful track and field coach, having trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American made running shoe prototypes with a waffle iron waffle iron n. An appliance having hinged indented plates that impress a grid pattern into waffle batter as it bakes. Noun 1. , are part of the state's folklore. Nike's carefully crafted image of athleticism and endurance conforms comfortably with Oregon's image of itself. And until now, Nike meant Knight. It was Knight who created Nike, but more than that, he invented a whole new kind of business. Nike doesn't really make shoes and other athletic gear. It has always been a marketing and design company. The manufacturing is handled by contractors, mostly in Asia. Long before anyone had heard of outsourcing, Knight built his company on it. Nike shows how the new global economy is supposed to function: skilled jobs at home, factory jobs overseas. Inevitably, the frictions created by the new global economy have affected the company that is its paradigm. Nike, more than any other shoe and apparel company, has been held accountable for the wages and working conditions at its contractors' plants. The friction caused a painful but temporary rupture between Knight and the UO when the university joined the Worker Rights Consortium, an anti-sweatshop organization. As the industry leader, Nike will never escape scrutiny for its labor practices, but claims of improvements in factory conditions have muted the criticism of late. What type of company Nike will become under new leadership is an open question. Knight's successor as CEO, William Perez William D. Perez succeeded William Wrigley, Jr. II as CEO of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, the world's largest chewing-gum manufacturer. He is the first person outside the Wrigley family to head the 116-year-old company. He will also join Wrigley's board of directors. , will want to stick with a winning formula. Perez comes to Nike from Johnson & Sons, the Racine, Wis.,-based maker of such products as Saran Wrap Noun 1. Saran Wrap - a thin plastic film made of saran (trade name Saran Wrap) that sticks to itself; used for wrapping food cling film, clingfilm plastic wrap - wrapping consisting of a very thin transparent sheet of plastic and Raid insect spray. Perez will have to make a big cultural transition. Even if he's successful, Nike will no longer be run by someone whose roots are in Oregon, and the company may gradually come to reflect that change. Knight will remain a friend of the UO even after he lets go of daily control at Nike. Indeed, he may have more time to learn about his alma mater's needs and ambitions. Universities everywhere are increasingly reliant on their alumni and other contributors, and Knight has been instrumental in helping the UO adjust to the new financial climate. It may be that this generosity is allowing the next Phil Knight to study at the UO right now. |
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