2026 Indiana Living Legends Gala

The Indiana Historical Society is proud to honor Dr. Craig Brater, Don Fischer, John Mutz, and Renee Washington as our 2026 Indiana Living Legends. This year’s class of Living Legends will be honored at the annual gala on Friday, August 14, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. 

Each year, IHS recognizes extraordinary Hoosiers for their local, statewide and national accomplishments in a variety of areas and disciplines. The gala is IHS’s signature fundraising event and helps IHS fulfill its mission to collect and preserve Indiana’s unique stories by supporting its statewide programs and services. 

In addition to the generous corporate sponsorship of Lake City Bank and Ice Miller, IHS welcomes individuals and companies to support IHS by attending the event. Event Benefactor Sponsorships are available for $10,000 and iInclude one table of 10 with priority seating and other benefits, and the entire gift is a tax-deductible gift in support of IHS statewide educational programs. Individual Benefactor tickets are available for $1,000.

The black-tie gala will begin with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The program will begin at 7:45 p.m. It will be followed by coffee and desserts, during which time all attendees will have the opportunity to congratulate the honorees.

A selection committee of civic and corporate leaders performs the difficult, but rewarding, task of choosing the recipients. For additional information, or to purchase tickets to the 2026 Indiana Living Legends Gala, please call (317) 234-2670.

2026 Living Legends

Dr. Craig Brater
Dr. Craig Brater’s contributions to the field of academic medicine are extensive, from his work with the Indiana University School of Medicine and other leading organizations to his research and writings on diuretics and the effects of medications on renal function.

Brater joined the IU School of Medicine faculty in 1986, where he began the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. He was later selected to chair the Department of Medicine and was selected as the ninth dean of the IU School of Medicine in 2000.

As dean, he supervised nine campuses across Indiana for the largest medical school in the country and also served as vice president for University Clinical Affairs for IU. He retired from IU in 2013.

Brater is currently president and CEO of the Regenstrief Foundation and vice president for programs for the Walther Cancer Foundation. He serves as board chair of Intealth, the organization responsible for international medical school graduates who come to the United States for further training. 

He has served in leadership roles for numerous medical societies and associations; he is also the recipient of several awards and honors.

Brater completed college, medical school, and an internship at Duke University, after which he completed his specialty training at the University of California at San Francisco. He was then recruited to the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center before coming to IU.

He is a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He and his wife Stephanie have one biological daughter, Aimee, and “Kenyan sons” Michael, Marcel, and Desmond.

Don Fischer
Don Fischer has been the “Radio Voice” of Indiana University football and men’s basketball games for the past 53 years, including the last 39 with the IU Radio Network owned by Learfield. He hosts the coaches’ weekly talk shows and his own weekly talk show that airs in several markets around the state. 

Fischer has broadcast more than 2,200 IU games, including the football team’s recent run to the National Collegiate Athletic Association national championship and four NCAA men’s basketball national championship games. He was the pre-season television anchor for the Indianapolis Colts for 23 years. 

Named the state’s Sportscaster of the Year 32 times, Fischer also received the National Sports Media Association’s first “Woody Durham Voice of College Sports” award. He is an inductee of the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, the Indiana Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, and the IU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Recognition for Fischer’s work has also come in the form of the Chris Schenkel Award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Lifetime Achievement Award. IU has recognized him for his service to the university and the community with the J. W. Bill Orwig medal, the Bicentennial Medal, and the Honorary I Award.

During his career, Fischer has also worked for ABC Radio, Canada’s CBC, and several other major market radio stations. He also served as sports director for WIRE and Network Indiana. 

A native of Rochelle, Illinois, Don and his wife Suzy reside in Greenwood, Indiana, and have four sons, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

John Mutz
John Massie Mutz served as Indiana’s lieutenant governor from 1981 to 1989. An Indianapolis native, Mutz served in prominent positions in government, philanthropy, and business, becoming a recognized leader in all three realms.

Perhaps best remembered for orchestrating the move that brought the Subaru plant to Lafayette, Indiana, Mutz served his community with distinction. Believing in globalism, free trade, regulated capitalism, and an informed, enlightened citizenry, he continued to advocate traditional Republican policies well into the twenty-first century.

Born in Indianapolis, Mutz graduated from Broad Ripple High School in 1953. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. 

Prior to his time in the lieutenant governor’s office, Mutz served Indiana as a state representative and state senator. After his loss to Evan Bayh in the 1988 governor’s race, Mutz entered a new chapter in his life by serving first as president of Lilly Endowment Inc., and then as president of PSI Energy. In 2000, together with Martha Lamkin, he helped to create the Lumina Foundation, where he served as board chair.

Among Mutz’s many lifetime honors is the 2013 Charles L. Whistler award, given to the citizen of Indianapolis for civic improvement. In recognition of his considerable contributions in the realm of philanthropy, the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance began an annual training series in his name starting in 2020.

Mutz married Carolyn Hawthorne in 1958. Their 68-year marriage produced two children: Mark and Diana. They, along with their spouses and children, are among John and Carolyn’s proudest accomplishments.

Renee Washington
Renee Chube Washington, as chief operating officer of USA Track & Field, has played a pivotal role in driving the organization’s historic success, including at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games where the team won 34 medals – its best performance since 1984. She manages the organization’s record $40 million budget and 60-person national staff, and her leadership has been instrumental in propelling USATF to new heights, both in performance and operational efficiency.

Alongside USATF’s CEO, she develops and implements corporate strategy and direction. Washington has broad cross-enterprise oversight of all departments, including high performance programs, events and broadcast/entertainment properties, merchandise, legal, revenue and marketing, communications, grassroots outreach and youth, and finance and revenue.

Washington plays a pivotal role in making USATF the most diverse and inclusive National Governing Body in the U.S. Olympic movement. It is the only NGB with a Black CEO, Black COO, and women in the CMO/CRO and CFO positions. By implementing hiring practices that value diversity and inclusion across all departments, levels, and backgrounds, USATF’s professional environment directly reflects and represents its athletes and community.

Washington’s professional excellence has been recognized on numerous occasions. She was named the 2024 World Athletics Woman of the Year, a 2024 WISE Woman of the Year, a 2019 Cynopsis Top Woman in Sports, and a 2017 Game Changer by Sports Business Journal.

Her commitment to social causes is as impressive as her professional achievements. She is a Georgetown University Law graduate and a Spelman College alumna. Washington currently resides in Indianapolis.