Bill Bowerman Biography

William Jay ‘Bill’ Bowerman is known in the American sports history for being one of the best American track and field coaches and the co-owner and prime designer of the athletic shoe company Nike, Inc. Bowerman was attracted to the game of football since he was in his high school and used to play for his team in Medford and Seattle schools. The recognition of his talent only encouraged him to pursue it further and he enrolled himself at the University of Oregon where he played for the university team. But he discovered his inclination towards coaching rather than playing and he started to teach biology and coach at the same time at Franklin High School in Portland, later shifting to Medford. He took a break from what he loved the most to serve his country during the Pearl Harbor attack and after serving four years in the American army he came back to teaching and coaching again. He became the head track coach at the University of Oregon and introduced many innovative techniques that helped athletes including bringing the concept of ‘jogging’ as a fitness technique to America from his travels to New Zealand. He wrote many books on jogging that sensationalized the idea in America and while he was propagating it, he co-founded America’s prominent athletic shoe making company called Nike, Inc. He was the head designer for the company and dedicated his life in creating shoes that helped athletes to perform better in the field.