Thomas Hall

Birmingham native Ed Hall, who served as director of the state tourism department during Gov. George Wallace’s last term, died peacefully at his home, Sunday, February 7, 2021, after a recent illness.

Hall was the first person to move from a professional tourism position into the state leadership post since the department was created in 1951. Eddie Webster, who was president of the Birmingham convention and visitors bureau, convinced Gov. Wallace to appoint Hall, Webster’s assistant director, to the state job in 1983. Hall changed the agency name from the Alabama Bureau of Publicity and Information to the Bureau of Tourism and Travel and popularized the phrase Alabama the Beautiful.

Hall had been a young aspiring radio station newsman at age 17 in Birmingham in 1963 and was the first reporter on the scene when Klansmen bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church during racial tensions in the city. The bomb claimed the lives of four young girls. Two decades later as state tourism director, Hall would convince Gov. Wallace to allow his tourism agency to publish the nation’s first state-sponsored Black Heritage Guide.

Hall moved from the state position in 1986 to succeed Webster as president of the Birmingham convention organization and later ran similar agencies in Houston, Tex., and Rochester, N.Y. Hall chaired numerous national industry committees during his career, including the National Tour Foundation, which was one of the founding organizations for today’s Tourism Cares charity. Hall is remembered by many for mentoring numerous executives at various tourism organizations.

Hall retired to the Birmingham area in 2012. During the past three years, Hall had been a consultant to the Alabama Tourism Department in nominating civil rights landmarks as potential World Heritage Sites.

Hall was known within the industry for his sharp wit, love of international travel and a specialty in wildlife photography. He traveled to Africa more than 10 times on photo safaris. Hall flew more than five million miles on Delta Airlines.

A small graveside service will be held February 8 due to Covid-19 protocols, and a Celebration of Life event for Ed’s many friends around the world will be held in the coming months as the coronavirus situation improves and travel restrictions are lifted. In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to donate to Tourism Cares.