Frank Butler Award

Governor Bill Anoatubby has held the position of Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, the 12th largest tribe in the United States, since 1987. Previously, he served two terms as lieutenant governor in the Chickasaw nation’s administration.

Governor Anoatubby earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from East Central University and served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard where he attained the rank of staff sergeant and command of a light truck platoon before his honorable discharge in 1971. He joined the Chickasaw Nation government as health services director in 1975 and one year later was appointed to director of the tribal accounting department. In 1978, he was appointed as special assistant to the governor and controller, and the following year he was the first popularly elected Lieutenant Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

Governor Anoatubby has served or currently serves as a member of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, the American Mothers Advisory Council, the American Indian Cultural Center Foundation, the Arkansas Riverbed Authority, the Dean A. McGee Board of Trustees, Murray State College Foundation, the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Board of Advisors, chairman of the Native American Cultural and Educational Foundation, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable Executive Committee, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Board of Directors, Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. Board of Directors, Oklahoma Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Oklahoman’s for the Arts Board of Directors, OU Price School of Business Board of Advisors, Task Force on the Future of Higher Education and the Goddard Center Primary Board.

Governor Anoatubby was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014. His many honors and awards include: 2019 NAFOA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2019 Oklahoma Center of Community and Justice Humanitarian Award, 2019 Force 50 Foundation George Nigh Lifetime Achievement Award, 2018 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Annie Oakley Society’s Frank Butler Award, 2017 Harland C. Stonecipher Award for Entrepreneurial Vision, 2017 James R. Tolbert III Crystal Orchid Award, 2017 World Experiences Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in Global Citizenship, 2017 Lee B. Brawner Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016 Creative Oklahoma Creativity Ambassador, 2016 Louis B. Russell, Jr. Memorial Award for Service to Minority and Underserved Populations, 2016 Helen Chupco Leadership Award, 2015 Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Board Member of the Year, 2015 Cherokee National Historical Society Stalwart Award, 2015 Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges Hall of Fame Inductee, 2015 Dialogue Institute of Oklahoma Leadership Award, 2015 Ada Area Chamber of Commerce Ted Savage Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014 Knights of Columbus John F. Kennedy Community Service Award, 2014 Oklahoma Academy Key Contributor Award, 2013 Oklahoma Israel Exchange Light, Leadership and Legacy Award, 2013 ASTEC Fund Door Opener Award, 2013 East Central University Distinguished Philanthropist Award, 2013 Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame Inductee, 2012 Citizen Energy Advocate of the Year of Award, 2011 Chisholm Trail Heritage Center Trail Boss Award, 2011 Oklahoma Health Center Foundation Treasures for Tomorrow, Outstanding Innovative Leader, 2010 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Leadership Award for Public Service, 2010 Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business Chairman’s Award, 2009 Festival of Hope Honoree, Heartline Organization, 2009 Leadership Oklahoma’s Distinguished Graduate, 2009 Board of the American Indian Exposition Indian of the Year, 2008 Native American Finance Officers Association Tribal Leader of the Year Award, 2008 Oklahoma Conference on Aging Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008 National Governors Association Private Citizen Award, 2007 Red Earth Ambassador, 2007 Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy Outstanding Service to Oklahoma’s Children Award, 2007 Minority Advocate of the Year, U.S. Small Business Administration, 2007 Oklahoma Heritage Association “Centennial Leadership award for Preservation of State & Local History,” 2006 Oklahoma Mental Health Consumer Council “Humanitarian of the Year” Award,  2005 Awarded the “Most Honored One” and “Friend of the Court” by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, 2004 Oklahoma Hall of Fame Inductee, 2004 Jacobson Foundation Honoree Award, 2000 Distinguished Service Award from the Murray State College Foundation, 1999 Tri-County Indian Nations Community Development Corporation Leadership Award, 1998 Honoree, Community Literacy Center, 1997 Ada Chamber of Commerce Leadership Award, 1997 City of Ada A+ Award, 1997 Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award, 1997 Distinguished Alumnus, East Central University, 1997 Distinguished Alumnus, National Community College Association, 1995 Minority Advocate of the Year, U.S. Small Business Administration, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest.

Anoatubby and his wife, Janice, have two sons, Brian and Chris, and five grandchildren, Brendan, Eryn, Chloe, Sydney and Preslea.