As co-founder, chairman of the board, and director of the internationally recognized Nike brand, Philip H. Knight has already left a great legacy. The Portland, Oregon native was born February 24, 1938; he would go on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Oregon (1959). It was in this university that he represented the school in track and field meets, under the coaching of Bill Bowerman. This same man would be the co-founder of Nike.

Philip Knight went on a year of service on active duty, and seven years as an Army Reserve. Eventually, he enrolled in the Stanford Graduate School of Business for his Masters of Business Administration that he would accomplish in 1962.

Before he began the legendary sports company, he worked with Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand as one of its public accountants. For a time, he involved himself in education as Portland State University’s Assistant Professor for Business Administration.

Named after the Greek winged goddess of victory, Nike Incorporated would successfully become one of the top companies in the entire world. One measure of success is its inclusion in the profile that is the Forbes 400 Best Big Companies and Forbes Global 2000.

In 2007, at an estimated $9.8 billion net worth mostly from his stake in Nike, Philip Knight placed 30th on the World’s Richest American list. BusinessWeek also recognized Philip Knight, but this time, for a different cause. He received recognition as the 33rd highest donation-giving individual in the magazine’s Top 50 American Givers roster. This distinction is a result of his 2004-2008 cumulative contribution of $314 million.

• In 2006, he gave $105 million to Stanford University Graduate School of Business, then one of the largest investments in university education.

• In 2007, Philip Knight supported the athletics department’s plans for the construction of a basketball arena in the University of Oregon, his alma mater. Seven years prior, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame recognized him as the year’s Special Contribution to Sports Awardee.

• The Oregon Health & Science University Foundation in Portland received $100 million as financial support for the university’s cancer institute. For their generosity, it will be named after the Knights (both Philip Knight and his wife Penny). This amount is for the smooth recruitment of new doctors and researchers over the next decade, for the expansion of patient-care facilities, and for research and support for new programs. Another outlet for this transformational gift is the research laboratories named after Linda Conant, a friend of the Knights who died of breast cancer in 2008.