Phil Knight Honored with Uncommon Citizen Award

Nike co-founder and chairman emeritus Phil Knight, MBA ’62, who has been a transformational benefactor for the university for more than six decades, is receiving Stanford’s most prestigious alumni volunteer service award, the Degree of Uncommon Citizen. His gifts of time and resources began with Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) and now span athletics, creative writing, neuroscience, and — through the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program — all seven of Stanford’s schools.

The Degree of Uncommon Citizen honors those individuals who have provided rare and extraordinary service to Stanford. Over Stanford’s history, the award has been presented only 25 times.

“I’m grateful for Phil Knight’s decades-long support for Stanford: The depth and breadth of his philanthropy touches nearly every corner of the university,” said Stanford President Richard Saller. “Beyond providing financial support for the people, programs, and research that inspire him most, Phil returns to campus to engage intellectually with faculty and students. His wide-ranging involvement helps sustain Stanford’s mission and our pursuit of excellence.”