“Eddie” Waldo Dane Edenburn (1885 – 1934)

At the age of 25, “Eddie” Waldo Dane Edenburn, with John Guy Monihan, accepted the challenge of leading a caravan of 10 Premier Automobiles and their 40 motorists on a cross-country trip from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Venice, California. This experience led to him being picked as one of the leaders of the 1913 Lincoln Highway Association’s drive from Indianapolis to San Francisco, the trip organized and led by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Carl Fisher (interred in Crown Hill Cemetery).

He must have impressed Fisher, who made him Chief Steward of the Indianapolis 500 in 1919. He and his ever-present starter’s jacket and cigar were a part of the 500 for the next 15 years, as he continued to serve as chief steward under Eddie Rickenbacker, who had purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Carl Fisher in 1927. Edenburn also served as an official in powerboat and yacht racing. Today, the Eddie Edenburn Award is given annually by the United States Auto Club (USAC) to an individual for their lifelong contributions to the sport of Auto Racing.