Bill Bowerman was known for building his own track shoes to shave off weight and time for his athletes.
February 19 marked the birthday of one of Wheeler County's most famous residents, the legendary track coach and co-founder of Nike, Bill Bowerman.
William Jay Bowerman was born in Portland on February 19, 1911 to Jay Bowerman and Elizabeth Hoover Bowerman. Bill's father was Oregon's thirteenth governor and his mother was a descendent of early pioneers that helped to establish Wheeler County.
When he was just two years old, Bill's parents divorced and Bill moved to Fossil with his mother and sibling Beth. His twin brother had been killed in an elevator accident that same year.
Bill moved around and attended school in Medford and in Seattle. He returned to Medford and graduated from high school as a standout athlete. Bill was on the football team and won back-to-back state championships at Medford High School. It was there that he also met his future wife, Barbara Young.
In 1929 Bowerman enrolled at the University of Oregon and played football for the Mighty Ducks. At the behest of track coach Bill Hayward, Bowerman also joined the track team. He pursued a degree in journalism and joined the Theta Pi Fraternity.
Upon graduation, Bowerman began teaching at Franklin High School in Portland where he also coached track. Bill and Barbara were married in 1936.
Like many Americans, Bill was called to action after the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1942. He joined the U.S. Army. He would go on to receive the Silver Star and four Bronze Star medals of honor for his actions in Italy.
Upon returning home, Bill went back to Medford where he taught and coached track. In 1948 he got the call to move to Eugene and to become the head track coach at the University of Oregon.
It is said that Bill Bowerman never liked being called a coach, and instead liked to be known as a teacher. His commitment to athletics and ability to teach core fundamentals propelled the University of Oregon to an elite status.
Apart from student-athletes, Bowerman also traveled the world and promoted running as a valuable form of fitness for all ages. In the early 1960s he wrote extensively about running and fitness. Soon after, a student at the U of O contacted Bowerman with the idea of making shoes for athletes. That of course was Phil Knight and together, they founded Blue Ribbon Sports, which would later become Nike.
Phil Knight was known to say "If Coach Bowerman isn't happy, Nike isn't happy."
Bowerman's primary interest was in finding the best materials to give athletes an edge and shaving weight off of shoes was his goal. In 1970 he ruined his wife's waffle iron while attempting to make the waffle-knit shoe that would come to revolutionize the running world. The waffle iron wasn't the only thing that was damaged, Bowerman sustained injuries to his own feet as he would try to wrap the hot rubber around his feet to find an ideal fit. The waffle iron was later found at the Hoover House in Fossil and was auctioned off to create a new track and field at the Condon School.
As a former resident of Fossil myself (for my first fourteen months in 1978), a lifelong Nike fan, and an alumni of the University of Oregon - I have a lot of respect for Bill Bowerman and his legacy. I recall meeting Bill at the Wheeler County Fair when I was in middle school and he was really kind. He even autographed a pair of Nikes that I was wearing at the time, which shows that he was a good sport through and through.
Happy Birthday Bill Bowerman!
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