Bill Bowerman is a Track Town legend and tonight he will be honored as such.
Bowerman made a place for himself in track and field history as the strong-willed coach of University stars like Steve Prefontaine, but he is most famously known as the inventor of Nike’s revolutionary waffle sole.
His dedication to track and field was unrivaled, but his love of music came in at a close second.
As a tribute to Bowerman, the Oregon Bach Festival is presenting a special concert called “Bowerman: Man of Oregon.”
Festival communications director George Evano said everybody knows Bowerman for his contributions to track, but he was also a loyal supporter of the arts and the Festival itself.
Tonight’s concert will include performances of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” John Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare,” and several Bach pieces.
The centerpiece, however, is the premiere of a symphonic biography that was commissioned by the Oregon Humanities Center and the Bowerman family.
The piece has four broad sections that each reflect Bowerman’s life geographically and chronologically. The timeline moves from Fossil, where he grew up, to Medford, where he went to high school, to his track days at Eugene and his retirement back to Fossil.
It was composed by University alumna Rebecca Oswald.
Oswald, who received her Master’s degree in 2001, said she put a lot of time and heart into the 23-minute piece.
Oswald said her two months of research started by reading Kenny Moore’s book “Bowerman and the Men of Oregon.”
“It guided me in places I wanted to go and people I wanted to talk to. I spoke with most of Bill’s family and his former coworkers and athletes,” she said.
She spent several days with his widow, Barbara Bowerman.
She even received a special tour of the Nike campus and spent some one-on-one time with Bowerman’s homemade shoes.
Oswald said she realized she needed to get to know Bowerman in his absence.
“My desire was to express his personality though music and part of that was going places and imagining he was there with me,” she said.
“It was like making friends with someone you’ve never met.”
Oswald thinks any University students or alumni in attendance will love the piece.
She incorporated the Oregon Ducks fight song, “Mighty Oregon,” and the UO Alma Mater. She also included some folk songs that were special to Bowerman.
“I hope people will have a real good time and appreciate all his contributions,” she said. “Anyone who wears athletic shoes has been affected by Bill. Waffle soles changed the face of America.”
Oswald wants people to celebrate Bowerman and his life’s accomplishments tonight.
Evano said Oswald did a really good job with the piece.
He said Bowerman was a great person and believed in more than just sports.
“When you read about how generous this guy was, it’s like so cool we were able to do this,” he said.
“Bowerman convinced a lot of his friends to invest in Nike and he paid them back with stock. As they became wealthy, successful people, he encouraged them to contribute to the arts.”
“Bowerman: Man of Oregon” will feature special guest speakers and a screening of an Oregon Public Broadcasting documentary about Bowerman.
Evano said tonight’s show will be more like an award ceremony than a traditional concert.
“It took a lot of effort to put it all together, so I hope it works,” he said.
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