By Jill Carlson, Class of 2013
You might have seen her enthusiastically giving a walking, trolley, river, or building tour. She could have been your sponsor or certifier. If you are a docent certified on the Aqua, St. Regis, and Lakeshore East tour, of which she is the Tour Director, you likely have received an email from her recommending an article, program, or event. Pris Mims is an active and involved docent – Someone You Should Know.
She was born in Oak Park and lived most of her life there until moving downtown in 2010. Pris retired in 1997 from an extremely time-consuming job in the legal department of an energy company, doing regulatory and contract work. After retirement, she finally had time to take the architectural tours her friends raved about. Along with volunteer work with the League of Women Voters and being a literacy tutor, Pris became a CAC member and took lots of tours.
In 2000 Pris saw a notice to members about a fall docent training class, and she joined the Class of 2000. She began giving the Historic and Modern tours to groups sometimes as large as 20—with no GTS.
In the next year or so Pris remembers learning three to four new tours. FLW was a “given” because of her years in Oak Park. She also learned Treasures, Tiffany, and Art Deco. The overlap between tours made learning them a little easier. And then she was off and running. Her VolunteerMatters directory lists 19 tours. Some are presently “in the vault” and a couple were “one offs,” leaving 12-14 active tours. Impressive!
Why has Pris learned so many tours? She is drawn to the brand new tours and likes being among the first to learn them. She welcomes the challenge of creating her own tour without the benefit of going on a public tour to get ideas – creating something out of nothing, with her own personal touch. She appreciates the variety of offerings, and every new tour allows her to add something to her other tours. Another challenge is staying certified for all of the tours she does.
Living downtown definitely makes docent life easier for Pris; FLW is her only tour out of the city. The decision to move in 2010 was carefully and thoughtfully planned. She had two conditions: good location (right downtown), and an appealing interior layout with sufficient room for books. The Aqua more than fit that bill, along with the added appeal of being an architecturally significant building with great amenities. Living around the corner from CAC, Pris has views of the city, Millennium Park, and the lake from her 65th floor condo.
In addition to giving many tours and serving as Tour Director right in her neighborhood, Pris also was the Tour Director of the Historic Treasures tour for several years. And she served on ad hoc committees, including marketing and Docent Day. She helped craft the guidelines for our tour signup switch from paper to Volunteer Matters. Pris received Service Awards in 2007 and 2013. She has been a sponsor and certifier.
Learning more about Chicago’s history and architecture, as well as getting to know downtown, were big incentives for Pris in becoming a docent. She loves being able to identify every building as she rides the L. And she relishes teaching guests how to “look and see” a building. That skill gives Pris pleasure wherever she is. However, the best part of being a docent is developing new friendships. Hanging out in the library is a great way to meet docents from other classes and other CAC volunteers.
Covid, of course, temporarily changed all of that, but Pris is optimistic about the future. She was able to give tours last year and was happy to resume when CAC reopened this year. She misses the half-hour of greeting and talking to guests as they stand in line before boarding the boat for the River Cruise. Pris commends CAC for the efforts in keeping the safety of docents and guests in mind. She is hopeful that some interiors can be added soon.
Pris admires all the docents who came forward during Covid with virtual tours and fantastic Zoom presentations to help our organization quickly pivot and continue to reach and connect with a wide audience. These programs helped to keep all of us sane for the last year.
We are so fortunate to have docents like Pris Mims as a member of our docent community.
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Great article on a great person!
Pris is a delight to work with, and an amazing sponsor. She is the best!
Great tribute to a great docent. Pris’s energy and commitment is boundless. Happy to call her a friend.
Kudos! To an awesome classmate and friend..
Lovely and lively portrait of a woman who never slows down.
Lovely article! Thanks Jill. When I think of Pris, I recall her always having a smile on her face and hearing her chuckle, too. She obviously enjoys herself, and spreads her joy to others.
Ditto to all the above. What a super person.
Mary b
One thing that’s missing from this is a mention of how helpful Pris is to new and newish docents. She makes people feel very welcome as part of the docent community.
So glad to read about Pris, an outstanding docent and someone I have known since our high school days at Oak Park River Forest. She has such a breadth of knowledge and passion for Chicago’s architecture and history. She is a great asset to CAC. .
Excellent profile!
Lest we forget to mention, she is always enthusiastic? Thanks for the write-up, although I’m now breathless.
Interested, energetic, and deeply committed to doing well in all she tackles–great article.