The Nike Swoosh corporate trademark was created in 1971 by
Carolyn Davidson while she was a
graphic design student at Portland State University. Davidson started as a journalism major but switched to design after taking a design course to "fill an empty elective." She attained a bachelor in graphic design in 1971. For seven years after its founding in 1964, BRS primarily imported
Onitsuka Tiger brand running shoes from
Japan. In 1971, Knight decided to launch his own brand of shoes, which would first appear as cleated shoes for football or soccer, and had a factory in
Mexico ready to make the shoes. All Knight needed was a "stripe"—the industry term for a shoe logo—to go with his new brand, so he approached Davidson for design ideas. He had asked Davidson to make sure the stripe conveyed motion and did not look similar to the three stripes of
Adidas. Over the ensuing weeks, she created at least a half-dozen marks and gathered them together to present to Knight, Bob Woodell and Jeff Johnson (two BRS executives) at the company's home office, at the time, it was located in
Tigard, Oregon. "Well, I don't love it", Knight told her, "but maybe it will grow on me." The Swoosh was officially trademarked on June 18, 1971 and in June 1972, at the
U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in
Eugene, Oregon, Nike's first official track shoe, the
Nike Cortez, was released to the athletes sporting the new Swoosh. 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 went on to be known as "The Logo Lady". She said that she is not a millionaire but lives comfortably. Davidson retired in 2000 and now engages in hobbies and volunteer work, including at the
Ronald McDonald House at
Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center in
Oregon. ==Design and color==