Past General Secretary Pigman honored by U.S. governor

Past Rotary International General Secretary Herbert A. Pigman has received his home state's highest civilian honor for the second time, in recognition for distinguished service through his work for Rotary International and its Foundation.

Governor Frank O'Bannon of Indiana, USA, proclaimed Pigman a "Sagamore of the Wabash" in a letter dated 19 January 2003. "You have distinguished yourself by your humanity in living, your loyalty in friendship, your wisdom in council, and your inspiration in leadership," the governor wrote.

That same day, the Rotary Club of Attica-Williamsport, Indiana, hosted a surprise ceremony for Pigman during its 66th anniversary celebration of the club's charter by Rotary founder Paul P. Harris. Retired State Representative Claire Leuck was on hand to present Pigman with the Sagamore of the Wabash plaque on behalf of the Hoosier State's governor. Hugh J. Baker III and David R. Wilson, the governors of Rotary districts 6560 and 6540, were among the invited guests.

Pigman, a member of the Rotary Club of Boswell, served as RI's general secretary from 1979 to 1986 and from 1993 until retirement in 1995. In 1985, under Pigman's leadership, Rotary launched the PolioPlus program, an aggressive public/private partnership to assist international health agencies and governments to certify the world as polio-free by 2005, Rotary's centennial anniversary. From 1986 to 1989, Pigman served as director of the Immunization Task Force for PolioPlus, helping to launch immunization operations throughout Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and Africa.

"Herb Pigman has been right in the thick of the fight [to eradicate polio] since the very beginning," General Secretary Ed Futa wrote in a letter to O'Bannon recommending Pigman for the award.

This award especially recognizes Pigman's recent work to raise funds for the polio eradication effort. Last year, Pigman designed and served as the first director of the Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign, which seeks to raise the US$80 million dollars needed to fund the final steps of Rotary's journey toward the eradication of polio. He continues to serve as vice chairman of the International PolioPlus Committee of The Rotary Foundation.

In an impromptu speech accepting the honor, Pigman said that although the final push to worldwide polio eradication seem to be the hardest, he was confident Rotary would reach the goal it promised by 2005.