Blog

By Brent Hoffmann, Class of 2005

Do you need examples of Project Fresh — a program previewed at All-Docent Day — to pump up your tours? Just tag along with long-time docent Bill Lee. Because who’d be better than a psychologist in meeting the expectations of tourees? By keeping introductions short. Showing enthusiasm. Telling people stories. Including social history and context to humanize buildings. By quizzing tourees, encouraging questions, leaving time to take photos — and keeping tours fresh by limiting the use of notes. (In Bill’s case, none.)

Some examples… On a recent Evolution of the Skyscrapers tour, Bill pointed out the tallest building in the city model. He followed with, “What’s needed to build skyscrapers?” Their answers: “steel, elevators and strong foundations.” Completing his introduction (five minutes), Bill led his charges outside.

 There’ll Be Math

On Adams Streeet, Bill told of the Berghoff family’s debut at the Columbian Exposition of 1893. “They sold a beer and a sandwich for five cents and were so popular they opened up a restaurant across the street. For years, Berghoff’s had a men’s-only bar,” he continued. “When do you think women were finally allowed into that bar?” (The answer: 1969, when members of the National Organization for Women sat at the bar and demanded service.) Bill paused; tourees took photos.

At the Monadnock, Bill revealed, “This building is only 62-ft. wide, and its load-bearing walls take up 12 ft. at ground level. So how much space is left?” A lady ventured, “50 feet.” Bill pointed out that this reduced rentable space limited the economic feasibility of the building. As a reward for the right answer – and seeing his tourees shivering in the cold — Bill promised that, “In five minutes, we’ll warm up in a lobby.”

Rorschach Test

By the Field Building — assaying his tourees’ attention to signs — Bill said, “What building is this?” In the lobby, he focused on the marble walls. “Are you familiar with the Rorschach Test?” asked Bill the Psychologist. “What do you see in the patterns of marble?” Although their answers varied, he did not posit psychological profiles based on their responses.

Pointing out the Willis Tower, Bill asked if anyone knew its original name. “It used to be Sears,” volunteered a gray-haired man. “Right,” said Bill, “but now it’s the Willis Tower. It used to be our tallest skyscraper in the U.S. and in the world. Now what’s the tallest in the U.S.?” Shouted a girl from the back: “The Freedom Tower in New York, at 1,776 feet.” Continuing the interrogation, Bill said, “but why, exactly, 1,776 feet?”

Psychology

Bill, docent class of 2005, originally wanted to be an architect. He enrolled at IIT with the intent of studying architecture and physical sciences, then switched his major to psychology. He graduated with an M.S. in psychology from Western Illinois University in Macomb. At Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, where he was a teaching fellow, Bill earned his Ed.D. in psychology.

For 40 years, he specialized in clinical psychology, with a practice that included children, adolescent and family therapy, as well as individual adult work at offices and hospitals in Gurnee and Waukegan. Then he focused on health psychology — working with people with physical problems such as chronic pain, cardiac conditions, amputations, and stroke recovery. He helped patients and their families accept and adjust to their conditions and reframe their reactive depression and anxieties. Bill performed pre-surgical evaluations for patients requiring clearance for bariatric weight-loss surgery, in-vitro fertilization approval — and surgery for placement of analgesic dispensing pumps for chronic pain management.

He retired in April 2017 and lives in Lake Bluff. Bill also has a condominium in Aqua, for use on weekends when he leads tours.

Bill was inspired to become a docent by taking CAF tours. “Particularly by a walking tour by Syma Dotson,” he said. He is certified for Aqua and Lakeshore East; Discover Chicago: Open-top Bus; Elevated Architecture: Downtown ‘L’ Train; Evolution of the Skyscraper; Historic Skyscrapers; Historic Treasures of Culture and Commerce; Holiday Lights; City Lights, Must-See Chicago; Palmer House; River Cruise; and Skyline Vistas by Trolley tours. Bill served as a sponsor and certifier for new docents and those learning the Elevated Architecture: Downtown ‘L’, Discover Chicago: Open Top Bus and river tours. He is a past member of the docent peer performance review committee.

Memories

“A distinguished-looking man complimented me after one of my first river tours,” he said. “I’d said that the Lyric Opera, in the Civic Opera Bldg., was one of the top five opera companies in the world. The man was Anthony Freud, the new general director of the Lyric Opera. On the other hand, I was embarrassed on my river certification cruise. The passengers started to laugh and point in my direction,” he continued. “I hadn’t said or done anything thing funny. Then I looked behind me and saw two men ‘mooning’ my tourees from a balcony near a bridge.”

Chinatown Tour

Bill, who grew up in Chinatown in New York City, is helping to develop a Chicago Chinatown tour for 2018. He’s providing input on buildings, transportation, tour timing — plus personal, social, and political insights. Tour concept and research also is being done by docents Kathleen Carpenter and Taiwan-born Chyi Hau. “We’d like to schedule it for mid-mornings. That way, our tourees can enjoy Chinese food for lunch as well as explore the neighborhood.

Whenever possible,” concluded Bill. “I’ll continue to keep tours fresh by using a ‘Socratic’ teaching approach with tourees rather than overwhelming them with a straight delivery of information. I’ll ask questions to help them discover the details on their own.”