On February 8th, two of University of Oregon’s prominent alumni were in Eugene to receive awards for their gifts back to the school. The Student Alumni Association was honored to host Tinker Hatfield, who won the Distinguished Alumni Award, at the Ford Alumni Center to ask him questions about his time at UO and his success in his career. The evening included food, networking, and excitement from students as they got to meet Tinker.

Background

Tinker was an architecture student who chose the University of Oregon because of Coach Bill Bowerman’s willingness to allow him to find a balance between his creativity and athletics. At the event, Tinker talked about his relationships with the Oregon coaching staff and how they helped him find time for workouts and school work.

Partly thanks to his connections at Oregon, Tinker ended up at Nike. He told event attendees about the beginning of his relationship with Michael Jordan and about the way their connection grew thanks to Tinker’s creativity and Michael’s willingness to take a risk. He talked about having faith in yourself even when you are facing criticism from people close to you. 

Talking with Tinker

After answering our questions, Tinker met with students at the event. He took photos, signed autographs and talked with over 100 students who waited in line to see him. We are so grateful that Tinker took the time to come talk with us, the interest he took in every fan, and for everything he gives back to the university.

Brunch with a Bunch

Earlier in the day the winner of the Young Distinguished Alumni Award, Dennis Worden had a brunch with a more intimate group of students. It was great to hear about his experience and time at UO. He gave great advice to students about life after graduation as well as how to best take advantage of our time at UO. We are thankful to Dennis for giving his time to speak with our SAA members.