Brief History: Before there was Nike, before there was the swoosh, there were two men that wanted to make a change in athletic footwear. Bill Bowerman was respected nationally as a track and field coach for the University of Oregon. Phil Knight was a talented middle- distance runner from Portland who enrolled at Oregon in the fall of 1955 and was a runner for Bowerman's track team. It all started in 1964 when they made a handshake deal and started a business called Blue Ribbon Sports. The two men began importing Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger running shoes to sell in the U.S, which today are known as ASICs. Later on in 1965, a man named Jeff Johnson became the first full time salesperson and opened up the first retail outlet for the company. In 1971, Jeff Johnson made a huge contribution to the company: He had a dream one night about the Greek goddess Nike, the Goddess of Victory. This is where the name "Nike" came from. The swoosh trade mark was created by Carolyn Davidson which was a graphic- design student from Portland State University.
Mission Statement: Nike's mission statement is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. "If you have a body, you are an athlete", this quote was said by Bill Bowerman. He seen endless possibilities for humans potential in sports. Bowerman set the tone and direction for this company and those words inspire the new generations of Nike employees. Today, Nike's goal is to carry out his legacy developing products that help athletes reach their highest potential and to create business opportunities setting Nike apart from competition and provide value for their shareholders.
