Blog

By Brent Hoffmann, Class of 2005

Suppose that you got a request to lead a “special tour.” It would be a half-day tour for a foreign dignitary who’s interested in the architecture of Chicago, particularly that of Frank Lloyd Wright. But not just for him, but for his aides, too. They’ll walk as well as travel in SUVs. So, plan for about a dozen tourees in all, plus police drivers and U.S. Secret Service agents.

Barry Sears answered the call in 1998. His VIP touree would be Julio Maria Sanguinetti, the president of Uruguay. Here’s how Barry planned and led the tour: “I worked closely with Uruguay’s consul-general in Chicago,” said Barry. “She said that her country’s ambassador to the U.S. would also join us, along with a staff photographer. Then, agents of the U.S. Secret Service called to ask me to immediately show them the tour route. On the day before the tour, a young agent picked me up at home and drove south on Michigan Avenue. I mentioned my plan to pause at the traffic turn-off in front of the Wrigley so that we could see the architecture on the four corners, including the Tribune Tower. But the turn-off was packed with delivery trucks. The agent said, ‘Don’t worry, tomorrow we’ll make it a no-parking area.’

Puzzled by Rookery
“The next morning, I met the VIP tour-takers at the Hilton,” he continued. “I joined the president, the ambassador (who would interpret), and their wives in a big, black Chevy Suburban. A second Suburban carried the rest of the group. Our cars were sandwiched in front and back by two Pontiacs driven by the Secret Service. And Chicago Police cars formed the head and tail of our six-car parade. President Sanguinetti, according to my research, was a man of culture – and a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright. But he was puzzled by the lobby of the Rookery, by the architect’s choice of serpentine gilding in the marble panels. We finished our five-hour tour at the Planetarium for a skyline view of the city. A week after the tour, the consul-general of Uruguay called to have me pick up a package. It held a photo of the group, with the Chicago skyline in the background, signed by President Sanguinetti.”

From English to IT
Barry grew up in Northbrook. He attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he earned an AB in English literature. “After graduation, I joined World Book Encyclopedia as a trainee in the systems department,” continued Barry. “I worked for about 20 years in a variety of IT jobs, including as database administrator at World Book’s headquarters in the Merchandise Mart.” After leaving World Book, he joined Consolidated Analysis Centers, Inc., in Los Angeles. He travelled extensively as a software teacher, including to offices of the U.S. Forest Service. After returning to Chicago, he retired in 1987.

“I first heard about the Chicago Architecture Foundation in the early 1970s, when it was based in Glessner House on Prairie Avenue,” he said. “CAF was searching for descendants of the neighborhood. My grandfather had lived on the Avenue, so I was happy to share my family’s history with the Foundation.” Barry’s interest in historic architecture led him to join the CAF Auxiliary Board, and he became a docent in 1992.

Barry is certified for Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop, Art Deco: Riverfront Favorites, Historic Skyscrapers, and Millennium Park: Beyond the Bean tours. He has served as a certifier and reader of trainee docent essays. He particularly enjoys the role of sponsor. Among his recent sponsorees are Steve Redfield, Wayne Johnson, Kathy Kulick, Chris Montanari, Darcy Krulisky and Steve Haddad. “Years ago,” Barry said, “I sponsored a retired Chicago police detective. On a practice tour in the lobby of 181 W. Madison, the detective said that the marble panels behind the guard station reminded him of ‘the chill drawers at the morgue’.”

Barry won the 2015 One Team Docent Award for outstanding non-tour contributions to CAF. He also funded the docent and volunteer libraries – including furniture and computers – at both the Michigan Ave. location and CAC’s new center.

Study Tours
Barry enjoys exploring architecture in other cities on CAC member study tours. In 2000, he organized the Foundation’s first international tour to London, then to Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2003. As a result, he was named the CAF Special Tours Consultant. “In 2003, I was inspired during a tour I led in Chicago for a couple from Finland,” said Barry. “The wife was a member of the Finnish Parliament. We got to talking about the great architecture of Helsinki. A year later, I arranged a member study tour of Helsinki and St. Petersburg. And she sponsored lunch and a tour of the parliament building for our group.” Over 20 years, Barry organized and led 12 study tours in the U.S. and 11 international tours, including to Beijing, Rome, Buenos Aires, and Kuala Lumpur as well as to London and Helsinki.

Barry has helped raise funds for CAF. In 2005, the director of the charitable foundation of the Fidelity investment company came to Chicago to meet with non-profit organizations (not including CAF) that might fit its giving parameters. “Unfortunately, CAF was not on his meeting list. Fortunately, the director was an architect by training, and he signed up for my morning historic tour,” explained Barry. “I learned of his mission in Chicago, took him to lunch, and asked ’how about CAF?’ Then I turned the lead over to our development department for follow-up. And over the next few years, the Fidelity Foundation’s gifts to CAF years totaled in the mid-six figures.”

Honorary AIA
In addition to his affiliation with the Chicago Architecture Center, Barry is a member of the Society of Architectural Historians, the Association of Architecture Organizations, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and a board member of Glessner House. In recognition of his contributions to architecture and education, he was inducted into the American Institute of Architects as an honorary member in 2011.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of CAC for these 28 years,” he concluded. “Everyone at the Center — docents and staff — is upbeat about what they’re doing. I’ve learned from visiting similar organizations in other cities -– many, founded on CAC’s example — how exceptional is our reputation. At work, we docents are really ambassadors for Chicago, influencing visitors who come to the city. Walking away after a tour, we’re on top of the world.”