Cardinal Tobin and Dr. Carolyn Woo honored as ‘ extraordinary Hoosiers’

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin and Dr. Carolyn Woo smile at a gala in Indianapolis on July 28 during which they and others were recognized with the Indiana Living Legends Award, the highest honor given by the Indiana Historical Society. (Submitted photo courtesy of Indiana Historical Society)

By Natalie Hoefer

On July 28, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin and Dr. Carolyn Woo were among six recipients of this year’s Indiana Living Legends Award, the highest honor given by the Indiana Historical Society (IHS).

Cardinal Tobin, former archbishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis from 2012-16, is now archbishop of Newark, N.J. Woo was CEO of Catholic Relief Services—which provides humanitarian relief and development in more than 100 countries—from 2012-16, and has worked in higher administration at Purdue and Notre Dame universities.

The Indiana Living Legend Award “recognizes extraordinary Hoosiers for their local, statewide and national accomplishments in a variety of areas and disciplines,” according to the IHS website.

“Indiana Living Legends is our highest honor,” Indiana Historical Society president and CEO Jody Blankenship told The Criterion. “We don’t take it lightly.

“I think both [Cardinal Tobin and Woo] are phenomenal choices, each highly deserving in their own ways. What I appreciate about both is neither are originally from Indiana, but … epitomize very much what we in Indiana hold as really important values and character traits.”

The awards were presented during a gala at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.

“The celebration gave me a reason to return to Indianapolis and be with people who have so deeply touched my life,” Cardinal Tobin told The Criterion.

While he does not consider himself a living legend, the cardinal does “accept my status as an adopted Hoosier and thank God that Hoosiers, especially the members of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, have recognized in my life some values that they cherish.”

Cardinal Tobin said that since Oct. 16, 2012, the day Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as shepherd of the Church in central and southern Indiana, he has been “tutored in the school of ‘Hoosier Hospitality,’ a way of life that is infinitely more than a slogan.

“I believe that this value given to speaking with others, welcoming strangers and struggling sincerely to resolve disputes is a precious contribution of the state of Indiana to our Church, nation and world.”

Woo shared with The Criterion her memory of arriving in Indiana 50 years ago to study at Purdue University.

“I came to Indiana with two very heavy suitcases without wheels, one year of tuition, and a pocketful of dreams and worries,” she said.

“This award is a testament to living each day well, taking advantage of opportunities for learning and growing, doing the good that you can do now, trusting God more and worrying less.”

In Indiana, Woo encountered people who “came forward to welcome, befriend, teach and mentor me every step of the way.”

She acknowledges leaders from the five corporate boards of directors in Indiana she served on as “exemplary models of values-based leadership.”

“Hoosier hospitality and genuine, unpretentious goodness nurtured and formed me,” said Woo, who currently resides in South Bend, Ind. “I am deeply grateful and proud to be honored by a state which has been home to me and has given me so much.”
 

For more on the accomplishments of Cardinal Tobin and Woo, go to cutt.ly/LivingLegends. †