- Carolyn Davidson
Infobox Person
image_size = 150px
name = Carolyn Davidson
birth_date = February 16Fact|date=September 2007
residence =Portland, Oregon
children = Jacob and AdamFact|date=September 2007Carolyn Davidson is the creator of the Nike
swoosh .Creation of the swoosh
Davidson designed the swoosh in 1971 while a
graphic design student atPortland State University .Phil Knight , who was teaching anaccounting class at the university, noticed Davidson working on an assignment, and asked her to do some work for what was then Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc. Needing to choose a logo in order to meet looming production deadlines, Knight settled on the swoosh, after rejecting various other designs. At the time, he stated of the logo, "I don't love it, but it will grow on me."cite web|url=http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=5&item=origin|title=Origin of the Swoosh|accessdate=2007-04-13|publisher=Nike, Inc. ]For her services, she billed the company $35. The swoosh became an instantly-recognizable insignia for Nike around the world, and Davidson continued working for what was now Nike, Inc. Eventually, the design demands of the company grew beyond one person's capacity, and she turned over her duties to Nike's new
advertising agency .After Nike
Although Davidson left Nike, in September 1983, Knight invited her to a company lunch. There, he presented her with a
diamond ring engraved with the swoosh, and Nikestock in an amount that remains a secret. Of the gift, Davidson says, "this was something rather special for Phil to do, because I originally billed him and he paid that invoice."Davidson retired in 2000, and now engages in hobbies and
volunteer work, including weekly duties at the Ronald McDonald House atLegacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center .References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
