William Wesley Knight (February 8, 1909 – February 19, 1981) was an American lawyer, politician, and newspaper publisher. He lived, worked in, and raised a family with his wife, Lota Hatfield Knight, in Portland, Oregon. Their son, Phil Knight, a high school and college athlete, went on to co-found Nike.
Life and career Commonly known as Bill, Knight was born on February 8, 1909, in Winnebago, Minnesota, to Fred A. Knight and Edith M. Knight, but grew up in Roseburg, Oregon."United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch; William W Knight in household of Fred A Knight, Winnebago, Faribault, Minnesota. Accessed: May 24, 2012.
Knight received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1932.
In 1935, he was elected as a Republican to the Oregon House of Representatives from Douglas County, Oregon; Knight was 26. He served one term. "He also served as a Douglas County deputy district attorney under Guy Cordon, who later was a U.S. Senator."Strasser, J.B., and Laurie Becklund. 1993. Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There. HarperBusiness. In 1939, Knight and his family moved to Portland, where he became "legal counsel for the Industrial Relations Association of Oregon."
Knight's 18-year tenure as publisher of The Oregon Journal began in February 1953, with the sudden death of then-publisher Philip L. Jackson from a heart-attack. Along with the newspaper came responsibility for managing the company's radio stations, including KPOJ AM & FM.Oregon Radio History; accessed May 13, 2012.
In 1959, the Journal and Portland's other newspaper, The Oregonian, were struck by a labor dispute over working conditions. The strike continued for several years, with US Senator Wayne Morse calling for mediation.
Knight retired in December 1971, at age 62.
Family and end of life Knight and the former Lota Hatfield (second cousin of Mark Hatfield),"Descendants of Jurian/Georgius Hartsvelder," Genealogy.com. Accessed: May 24, 2012. of Roseburg, were married on March 4, 1937. The couple had three children, including twin daughters in addition to their son, Phil. Mrs. Knight "devoted herself to her home and to the raising of her three children." William Knight died in Portland, Oregon, on February 19, 1981. Lota died on March 8, 2007, at age 91."KNIGHT, Lota Hatfield January 22, 1916-March 8, 2007," The Oregonian. Accessed: May 13, 2012.
Service and legacy
Knight served a term as president of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, in 1970.
The William W. Knight Law Center, home of the University of Oregon Law School, is named after him, "in recognition of a generous gift given to the building campaign by his son, Philip Knight '58, UO alumnus and chairman and CEO of Nike." The facility was "dedicated September 15, 1999, by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.""Knight Law Center," University of Oregon Accessed: May 13, 2012.
References