The Sagamore of the Wabash award was created during the term of Indiana Governor Ralph Gates, who served from 1945 to 1949. The term "sagamore" was used by the American Indian Tribes of the northeastern United States to describe a lesser chief or a great man among the tribe to whom the true chief would look for wisdom and advice. It is a personal tribute usually given to those who have rendered a distinguished service to the state or to the governor and is the highest honor an Indiana governor can bestow. Among those who have been named Sagamores are astronauts, presidents, ambassadors, artists, musicians, politicians, and ordinary citizens who have contributed greatly to our Hoosier heritage. Joe was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by former Governor Frank O'Bannon in 1997, and then again by former Governor Joe Kernan in 2005, for his outstanding contributions to Indiana. |