Alaska (magazine)


Alaska is a periodical devoted to news and discussion of issues and features of and from Alaska. Most of its readership consists of persons outside of Alaska who are interested in the Alaskan way of life.

History and profile

Alaska magazine was founded in 1935 in Ketchikan, Alaska, by Emery Fridolf Tobin and J. Ray Roady. Tobin established himself as an opponent of Alaska statehood, although this may have been contradictory, given his ties to the Democratic party and the fact that he and Roady served as State Representatives in 1959.
Alaska magazine was originally titled the Alaska Sportsman Magazine, a name it retained until 1969. It operated much then as it does today, being sold through newsstand sales and subscriptions. The major difference in its early days was the fact that paper stock to print the magazine arrived via steamship, posing the threat of delays, and it operated out of a small basement. Another major difference is that the editorial and sales offices have moved to Alaska's economic center, the city of Anchorage.
The magazine was sold to the partnership of fur trader Robert A. Henning and journalist Robert N. DeArmond in 1958. Henning helmed the magazine for nearly 30 years, mostly under the corporate name of Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, and was known as an enthusiastic promoter of Alaska. Henning, quoted in 1971 about the magazine, said "I'm my own best customer when it comes to selling Alaska. We haven't scratched the surface of the tourist business yet".
The magazine is owned by Morris Communications, a Georgia-based company which also publishes the Milepost travel guide. The company acquired Alaska in 1995.