1946-2022
Many have heard the sad news that our valued friend and colleague, Bruce MacDougal passed away January 22, 2022. Bruce MacDougal capped off a remarkable career in historic preservation by serving as Preservation Action’s Director of Washington Operations since 2016.
Preservation leaders around the country knew Bruce and benefited from his good counsel and creative collaboration. He was personally kind and we will all remember his infectious smile. He was a persistent, positive, professional preservationist who leaves us an inspiring legacy. He showed us often how to better collaborate among all levels of historic preservation organizations, because working together we could “move mountains” for big historic preservation goals, whether better government policies or significant historic places.
Bruce’s wife, Jill, who was his partner in life and preservation work, asked that memorials in Bruce’s name be made to Preservation Action Foundation and the Jeffersonian Grounds initiative at the University of Virginia. These are special and fitting ways to honor Bruce. You can read more about Bruce’s legacy here.
Bruce had a deep belief that we should be committed, as preservation leaders, to educate and engage the next generation of preservationists, and himself served as a mentor to countless preservationists over the years. It’s with that in mind that the Preservation Action Foundation would like to announce, starting this year, we will be renaming our annual program that seeks to train and educate the future leaders of preservation advocacy, to the Bruce MacDougal Advocacy Scholars program.
The Bruce MacDougal Advocacy Scholars program provides students, recent graduates, and early-career preservationists with the opportunity to participate in National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week.
