Key facts
- Nike cofounder Phil Knight and his wife Penny donated $1 billion to the University of Oregon.
- The donation is believed to be the largest to a flagship university.
- The funds will establish a new engineering school in Eugene.
- Phil Knight is an alumnus of the University of Oregon.
- The Knight family's total known giving to the university now exceeds $2 billion.
Nike cofounder Phil Knight, along with his wife Penny, has made a $1 billion donation to the University of Oregon, a gift believed to be the largest ever to a flagship public university. The funds are earmarked for the creation of a new engineering school in Eugene.
University of Oregon President Karl Scholz described the donation as a significant investment in the future, highlighting the Knights' history of supporting ambitious projects. He noted that the gift underscores the importance of higher education and the university's work.
Phil Knight, an alumnus of the university, stated that realizing audacious dreams requires both imagination and the opportunities provided by universities. He emphasized the importance of investing in young people's futures.
This latest contribution brings the Knight family's total known philanthropic support for the University of Oregon to over $2 billion. The university's Vice President and Professor of Bioengineering, Bob Guldberg, indicated that the donation would enable the establishment of a full undergraduate engineering program, aiming to address a shortage of engineers in Oregon.
This significant gift follows other substantial commitments from the Knights, including $1.1 billion earlier this month to Providence St Vincent Medical Center and the Providence Heart Institute for women's health, and a $2 billion commitment last year to Oregon Health & Science University's cancer institute.