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By Brent Hoffmann, Class of 2005

Alison Schlickman has enjoyed a shipload of surprises while underway on our river, for example: “A family of what appeared to be South Asians boarded my boat for a cruise in early June,” she said.  “They weren’t dressed warmly enough for our cold weather. One of the young women looked like she was freezing, so I lent her my scarf. At the turnaround at Navy Pier, a young man from the group stood up and announced his intention to propose marriage to the woman, still wearing my red cashmere scarf.  She accepted, everyone on the boat clapped in approval, and I let her keep the scarf as a souvenir to take it back to India.”

Alison recalled a World War II veteran in a wheelchair who sat in the bow of the boat. “After the tour, he told me that he remembered fellow Navy pilots — including young George H.W. Bush – who trained at Glenview and learned to land their planes on the repurposed cruise ships that acted as aircraft carriers stationed off Navy Pier. He said that naval historians credit their training in the Great Lakes as the reason they were able to defeat the Japanese in the war in the Pacific. I was quite humbled by his story, and have added his feedback to my own narration on the river.”

Celebrity

Continued Alison, “Another great experience was a woman who waited in line to ask me questions on the dock. She was very impressed with Chicago’s architecture, comparing it to New York City, and said that her husband would have loved to take this tour. She was very friendly, and I thought she looked familiar. On my way home I realized it was the actress Blythe Danner, the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow.”

Alison’s infatuation with the river cruise dates to a family reunion that she, a fourth-generation Chicagoan, hosted. “One of the events was a cruise on the Chicago River, and my family was so enthralled that I wondered if I could work for the cruise organization. After I retired, I looked for something to keep me busy.  I saw a call for docents on the CAF website, joined the class of 2015 and began river tours in 2016.  It’s been the best retirement gig ever.”

In addition to the river, she leads the Historic Treasures, Art Deco Skyscrapers-the Riverfront, Art Deco Skyscrapers-the Loop, and Sheffield Historic District tours. “My favorite walking tour is Art Deco Loop,” she said, “because I have many connections to LaSalle Street, having worked at the Fed so long, and I love the stories of Chicago in the Roaring 20s.”  She’s on the docent standards committee. “I also helped with DAN and Open House Chicago, and I’ve presented on some CAC webinars, including What’s New and Cool on the River?”

Her two-word advice for new docents?  “Electric socks. They keep you warm on the coldest days.”

The Fed

After a childhood in Chicago, Alison set out for the nation’s capitol and earned a BA in economics at Georgetown University. “I joined the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.,” she continued.  “My area was economic statistics, and I found it fascinating to follow current events as they related to the American economy.   It was also in D.C. that I met a fellow student at Georgetown who became my husband Steve. He was the expert in commuting around the District.  He managed GUTS [Georgetown University Transit System].  And it launched his transportation career to ultimately head up the Chicago RTA.

“In 1977, I transferred to the downtown office on LaSalle Street in Chicago where I completed my 35 years with the government. But I still follow economic journalism to keep up with the field.”

When not doing docent duties, Alison volunteered at the Howard Area Community Center where she tutored refugees in the English language and math.  “I’ve stayed in touch with some of them, to help them deal with other challenges of life in the U.S. I love needlepoint and am part of a group that meets every two weeks for lessons in Evanston.  And my husband and I are looking forward to a February trip to Banff, Canada, with the 70 Plus Ski Club. But the real highlight in my life is spending time with our three grandchildren.”

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