Phil Knight and wife donate $1 billion to University of Oregon

Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, have donated $1 billion to the University of Oregon. This contribution is described as the largest known donation ever made to a public university in the United States.

The funds are designated to establish a new engineering college at the Eugene, Oregon campus. This new unit will focus on training engineers and applied scientists, particularly in high-demand fields such as bioengineering. The college is expected to share space with the existing Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and will aim to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and commercial technology.

This gift brings the Knight family’s total known contributions to the University of Oregon to over $2 billion. It follows previous major pledges made in 2016 and 2021. The couple has also recently engaged in significant philanthropic activities in Oregon, including a $1.1 billion donation to a medical center for women's health and a $2 billion commitment to the Oregon Health & Science University cancer institute.