Lucas Oil founder Forrest Lucas was posthumously honored as the 2025 Sachem Award honoree by Gov. Mike Braun.
The award is given out once a year to recognize Hoosiers honored for their work and virtue in shaping the state.
Braun presented the award Thursday in the governor’s office to Lucas’ wife Charlotte, son and current Lucas Oil CEO Morgan Lucas, and his wife Katie Lucas, who is president of Lucas Oil.
Lucas, who died in August at age 83, is the 20th Sachem Award honoree and the first chosen by Braun.
“Forrest Lucas exemplified what it means to be a Hoosier,” Braun said in a statement released by his office. “As a self-made entrepreneur, Lucas applied the work ethic he learned on the family farm to build an iconic American company, and left an indelible mark on the state of Indiana through his passion for sports and racing, philanthropy, and moral character.”
Lucas grew up on a small family farm in rural Brown County and started his career as a truck driver before he and his wife founded Lucas Oil in 1989.
The company grew into a multimillion-dollar operation and acquired the naming rights for Lucas Oil Stadium when the Indianapolis Colts opened it in 2008.
The governor’s office credited Lucas as a major supporter of local charities including Project Harvest, Wheeler Mission Drumstick Dash, the Central Indiana Police Foundation, the Colts’ Horseshoe Helpings events, Grit & Grace to encourage young female leaders, as well as hosting the Eric Medlen Memorial Golf Tournament, raising over $1.4 million for Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
Indiana Gov. Edgar Whitcomb introduced Sachems to state government, using an Algonquin term for village leaders, in 1970 as a group of business and industry leaders tasked with serving as state hosts. The award dropped out of use before being revived in 2005 by Gov. Mitch Daniels
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