Sagamore of the Wabash gets a workout in Holcomb’s finale

Everywhere I looked last week, people were receiving the Sagamore of the Wabash award from outgoing Gov. Eric Holcomb. Most were given in his office in front of the fireplace. His face must have been stiff from all the smiling.
Among the awardees were:
- A private college executive
- The Purdue University president
- A biotech executive
- A former House speaker
- A lobbyist
- An attorney who represented Holcomb in a constitutional lawsuit
- Another attorney
- A lawmaker
- A civil rights advocate
- A law partner
- Another private college executive
- A businessman
- A former GOP party chair
- Several Ball State University board members
- A mayor
- A Purdue University trustee
- Another mayor
- A political strategist
- A bank executive
- More attorneys
- A zoo president
- A firefighter
- A health care executive
- A CEO
- An auto-racing leader
- Another lawmaker
- A congressional staffer
- A baseball executive
And those were only the ones posted publicly online. There are so many more.
I sent a note to Holcomb’s office asking for a final list of those awardees but, alas, the request wasn’t answered.
Back in 2021, I wrote a story on how often high honors, including the Sagamore, are given.
At that point – five years into his eight-year tenure – Holcomb had given more than 1,100 awards. Of that, 585 were the Sagamore award, considered by many to be the highest honor.
It was started in the 1940s by Gov. Ralph Gates. The term “sagamore” was used by the Native American tribes of the Northwest Territory to describe a lower chief or a great man among the tribe to whom the true chief would look for advice and wisdom. Each governor has his own criteria for giving the Sagamore award — though anyone can nominate someone.
Prior to Holcomb, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels limited use of the award to preserve its meaning. He gave only 250, according to that 2021 Journal Gazette article.
Former governors Robert Orr and Evan Bayh gave more than 3,600 Sagamores each.
Daniels revived the Sachem Award, and only one is issued each year. Recipients have included legendary college basketball coach John Wooden in 2005 and Lincoln National Corp. CEO Ian Rolland in 2012.
Holcomb’s last Sachem was given to Clay Robbins, the chair and CEO of the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Holcomb added his own award to the cadre: the Circle of Corydon, the home of Indiana’s first state capital. It recognizes “those who have made remarkable contributions that have bettered Indiana and demonstrated the qualities exemplified by our greatest citizens.”
And there are also the Distinguished Hoosier Award, which has been given by governors for more than 50 years to recognize outstanding Indiana residents, and the Honorary Hoosier Award to recognize those not from Indiana but who have made outstanding contributions to the state.
Maybe I should be upset at the diminishment of the Sagamore of the Wabash. After all, several of those who were awarded in the last two weeks already had a Sagamore from a previous governor.
But I honestly can’t bring myself to care that much. I am all for recognizing Hoosiers doing amazing things, no matter what you call it.
