LAKE CITY, Minn. — John S. Hall Sr. spent decades in the motorcoach industry, building a business sharing the world all while focusing on taking travelers by bus to parts of Alaska many visitors never see.
His first Alaska tour, in 1983, took guests along the Alaska Highway, through the middle of the state and on to the Inside Passage. He built John Hall’s Alaska to share more of the state with his guests.
Now, an award funded by the John S. Hall Sr. trust will help others build careers in the motorcoach industry he loved.
Elizabeth Hall, his daughter and president of John Hall’s Alaska, announced the John S. Hall Memorial Industry Award during a UMA Town Hall on Sept. 10.
The award will provide up to $2,500 each to as many as two people per year for education, training and professional development in the motorcoach industry. The trust has committed to funding the award through UMA for five years. Hall said the family has been developing it since spring.
“We wanted his legacy to continue to be remembered in a positive way for the industry he cherished most,” Hall said.
She added that the family chose the United Motorcoach Association after talking with some of her father’s industry friends and considering which organization shared his values and outlook on the industry.
John S. Hall Sr. bought his first motorcoach in 1982. The following year, he began taking travelers to Alaska and eventually built a company known for its land tours. He died in February, days after John Hall’s Alaska received UMA’s 2026 Small Operator Vision Award.
An investment in the industry’s future
As the family developed the award, Hall said, they thought about her father’s approach to hiring. He believed an employer could teach job skills but could not teach personality.
“Education was one of the most important things to him, and he also felt that his drivers and his mechanics were the most important element of any organization,” she said.
The award is open to people in any role who are committed to advancing in the motorcoach industry. It can help pay for classes, books, tools and other professional development, including driver and mechanic training. Hall hopes it will create opportunities for people who do not have access to the resources of a larger company.
UMA President and CEO Scott Michael said John S. Hall Sr. valued people working throughout the motorcoach industry.
“It’s a great way to highlight his support for the people that work in this industry in all different fields,” Michael said. The award, he added, is open to people who “want to better themselves and be prepared to make a career in the industry.”
UMA will review the applications and recommend recipients. The Hall family will make the final choice. Applications are due Nov. 1. The first award is expected to be presented at the UMA Motorcoach EXPO in San Antonio in January.
Hall urged state associations, operators, manufacturers, and training providers to share the application.
“We’d love to help create some more opportunities for folks moving into the next chapter of this industry while being part of the next 20-plus years of the industry’s success and growth,” she said.
