It started with a handshake between two visionary Oregonians - Bowerman and his University of Oregon runner Phil Knight. They and the people they hired evolved and grew the company that became Nike from a U.S.-based footwear distributor to a global marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment that is unrivaled in the world. {http://nikeinc.com/pages/about-nike-inc 5-21-2012}