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Bill Bowerman Co-Founder of Nike & Legendary Oregon Track Coach – Steve Prefontaine Signed AUTO Letter to Olympic Gold Medalist – Dave Wottle PSA/DNA LOA
Bill Bowerman (1911-1999) was a legendary track and field coach at the University of Oregon from 1948 to 1972, where he revolutionized the sport and developed innovative training methods. His coaching career produced 64 All-Americans, 33 Olympians, and 24 NCAA individual champions. Among his most famous athletes was Steve Prefontaine, whom he coached from 1969 until Prefontaine's tragic death in 1975. Bowerman also served as the U.S. Olympic track and field coach in 1972.
While coaching at Oregon, Bowerman became obsessed with improving running shoes for his athletes. This led to his famous experiment of pouring rubber into his wife's waffle iron to create a new sole pattern. In 1964, he partnered with one of his former runners, Phil Knight, to form Blue Ribbon Sports, which would later become Nike. Knight had been importing Japanese running shoes, and together they began developing and selling their own designs. Their partnership laid the foundation for what would become the world's largest athletic footwear company.
Beyond his coaching and business success, Bowerman is credited with sparking America's jogging boom in the 1970s after studying recreational running in New Zealand. His 1967 book "Jogging" helped popularize running for fitness among the general public. His obsession with shoe design and performance continued throughout his life, and he personally designed many of Nike's early successful running shoes. Bowerman remained on Nike's board until 1990 and passed away in 1999, leaving an indelible mark on both competitive athletics and the sporting goods industry.
Partnership with Phil Knight
- Meeting Knight: Phil Knight, a former track athlete under Bowerman, approached his coach with a business idea after studying at Stanford. Knight envisioned importing high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan to compete with dominant brands like Adidas and Puma.
- Founding of Blue Ribbon Sports (1964): Bowerman and Knight became partners, co-founding Blue Ribbon Sports, which initially distributed Japanese Onitsuka Tiger shoes in the U.S. Bowerman contributed both financial investment and product development expertise.
Transition to Nike
- Creation of the Nike Brand (1971): As the relationship with Onitsuka Tiger soured, Bowerman and Knight decided to create their own brand. They named it Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory.
- Bowerman’s Waffle Sole: One of Bowerman's key contributions was the waffle sole, which became a signature feature of early Nike running shoes. This innovation helped distinguish Nike products in the competitive sportswear market.
- Role in Design: While Knight handled the business side, Bowerman focused on shoe design and functionality, ensuring that the products met the needs of athletes.
Dave Wottle is a Track and Field Legend, an American Olympic Gold Medalist, and a member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. He was born on August 7, 1950 in Canton, Ohio. Wottle attended Canton Lincoln High School and was a star runner at Bowling Green State University. While in college, Wottle was a nine-time All-American in cross country and track and was an eight-time NCAA, AAU and USTFF national champion in the middle distances. Wottle competed in the 800 meters, the 1500 meters, the mile, and more. In the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials, Wottle qualified for the Olympic Games in both the 800 and 1500 meters. His performance at the Trials in the 800 meters was especially memorable as he tied the world record with a time of 1:44.3. Wottle went to Munich and dramatically won the Gold Medal in the 800 meters in what is widely considered one of the greatest races of all time and the greatest comeback of all time. In that race, Wottle wore his trademark golf cap, and went from a distant last place all the way to first place and won the race with his final stride. The race has gone viral on social media and is a testament to never give up.
Offered is a 1 page typed letter signed on University Oregon Department of Interollegiate Athletics letterhead written Dave Wottle dated January 9, 1973. It is the companion piece to a letter Bowerman was going to send to a writer.
Bowerman writes to Dave Wottle asking for permission to be interviewed by one of Wottle's teammates, Jim Ferstle. Jim was working on the Dave Wottle Story for Runner's World and wanted to interview Bill. The letter is signed and inscribed by Bill Bowerman. Bowerman handwrote "Dave, if you want Ferstle to have my communications send it or...if not, in the waste basket. Best for '73." Bill Bowerman ended the letter by wishing Wottle and his lovely bride a happy and wonderful start to 1973.
Incredible content from Bill Bowerman whose autograph is extremely rare due to the fact that many autograph collectors were not pursuing the autographs of track coaches. In addition to being one of the greatest track coaches of all-time, without Bill Bowerman, there is no Nike.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA and Full LOA from Dave Wottle
Item: 13790
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