BOISE – Alan Minskoff, a longtime Idaho Heritage Trust board member, was awarded an Esto Perpetua Award from The Idaho State Historical Society for his “outstanding accomplishments in preserving and promoting Idaho’s Heritage.” Arriving in Idaho in 1972, Alan was immediately captivated by Idaho’s unique history, and he has devoted a tremendous amount of time and energy to preserving the past.
Alan believes such work is of vital importance because it allows us “to understand where we came from, but more importantly to have a sense of where we are.” After forming Friends of Old Buildings to preserve Boise’s historic structures, Alan immersed himself in the unique sense of place found in small towns throughout Idaho. The detailed accounts of his travels were the basis for the state-wide magazine Idaho Heritage. Alan later returned to those same towns, recounting his observations in his book The Idaho Traveler.
In addition, Alan has written a number of essays on Idaho’s heritage and the importance of its preservation, was the editor of Boise Magazine, Boise Journal, and Idaho Heritage, and co-owns the historic Governor Morrison House with his wife, Royanne Minskoff. Alan is the Director of Journalism for the College of Idaho, where he has been teaching since 2001, and an accomplished author of both prose and poetry. The Idaho Heritage Trust could not be happier for Alan, as he truly embodies the spirit of the Esto Perpetua award and state motto, “Let it be perpetual”, and we are thrilled to have a person of his passion and character as part of our organization.
