Douglas Houser, the attorney who helped incorporate the Oregon-based company in the early 1970s and stayed with it for almost 50 years, passed away on Sept. 30 at the age of 89.
Nike’s founder Phil Knight, who was Houser’s cousin, said 2014 that Houser was “one of the unsung heroes of the early days.” In 1973, Nike became involved in a lawsuit against Onitsuka Co. Ltd, and Houser took on the case. “It was a very complicated case with lawyers from five different entities. He took it all on a contingency fee basis,” Knight said.
The dispute resulted in Nike’s establishment as an independent sportswear company.
“Doug joined the board before the birth of the Nike brand and provided valuable guidance to the company through its challenging formative years to become the world’s leading athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment brand,” Knight said when Houser left Nike’s board in 2015.
Houser was born in Oregon City in 1935 and earned his law degree from Stanford University.
