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Bill BowermanAmerican track and field coach
Date of Birth: 19.02.1911
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Bill Bowerman
Bill Bowerman, an American track and field coach, was one of the founders of the corporation 'Nike'. Throughout his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 top American athletes, 12 American record holders, 24 NCAA champions, and 16 individuals who ran a mile in under four minutes. Bowerman was a recipient of the Oxford Cup, the highest honor of the North American social fraternity 'Beta Theta Pi'.
Early Life and Education
William Jay 'Bill' Bowerman was born on February 19, 1911, in Portland, Oregon. His father, Jay Bowerman, was a former governor of the state of Oregon. Bill's parents divorced in 1913. He had an older brother, Dan, and a sister, Mary Elizabeth, as well as a twin brother named Thomas, who tragically passed away at the age of two in an elevator accident. During high school, Bowerman played in the school orchestra and football team. He first met Barbara Young, his future wife, while still attending Medford High School. In 1929, Bill enrolled at the University of Oregon, where he studied journalism and played football.
Early Career and Family
After graduating, Bowerman taught biology and worked as a football coach at a school in Portland in 1934. A year later, he returned to Medford High School, where he coached young football players. Bowerman married Barbara Young on June 22, 1936. Their first son, John, was born on June 22, 1938. Their second son, William J. Bowerman Jr., was born on November 17, 1942. During his military service, Bowerman underwent training in the Reserve Officer Training Corps and then joined the United States Army as a second lieutenant in the early days following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was stationed in Washington, where he served at Fort Lewis for a year before being assigned to the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment in Leadville, Colorado. Bowerman's duties included supplying troops and servicing the mules used in mountainous regions. He earned four Bronze Stars and one Silver Star during his military service. He was honorably discharged in October 1945.
Coaching Career and Legacy
After the war, Bowerman returned to work at Medford High School. His third son, Tom, was born on May 20, 1946. The family later moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Bowerman became the head track and field coach at the University of Oregon on July 1, 1948. During his 24 years as a coach at the University of Oregon, Bowerman's track and field team only had one losing season. They won the NCAA championship four times and consistently ranked among the top ten university teams in the United States. Bowerman stepped down in 1972 to focus on fundraising for the renovation of the Bill Hayward Field. Additionally, as a Republican, he unsuccessfully ran for the Oregon State Legislature in 1970, losing by only 1000 votes. Bowerman officially retired from his coaching position at the University of Oregon on March 23, 1973, with Bill Dellinger taking his place. Bowerman is credited with developing a training program to prepare athletes for mountainous and high-altitude conditions. His program proved successful at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, leading to his appointment as the track and field coach for the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. During that period, Bowerman also coached teams from Norway, Canada, Australia, and the United States. Bill Bowerman passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 88, on Christmas Eve, 1999, at his home.
