Bob Irving, an extraordinary docent who introduced Chicago’s iconic architecture to thousands of people over the course of fifty years, passed away on Monday, April 7, 2025, at the age of 93. A native of New York City, Bob had called Chicago home since 1967, when he came to the city to teach at IIT. Within a few years, he was pursuing his passion for historic architecture, volunteering as a docent with the newly formed Chicago School of Architecture Foundation to lead tours of Glessner House and downtown. Over the years, he also gave of his time and talents with the Clarke House, the Charnley-Persky House, and with Friends of Historic Second Church.
On behalf of his Chicago family – his chosen family – it is my privilege to share some stories of Bob’s life, interspersed with his own witty commentary. He will be greatly missed, but all of those whose lives he touched are richer for the opportunity to have known him and to see Chicago through his eyes.
EARLY YEARS
Robert Francis Edward Irving Jr. was
born on June 30, 1931, in New York City. His mother, Gertrude Haggerty
(1897-1991) and his father Robert (1899-1975) had both been born in New York
City as well. They married in 1927 and welcomed Bob’s only sibling, Ellen, in
1928. His father worked as a textile salesman, and the family resided in the
Bronx.
Bob’s parents had given him permission to explore the city on his own when he was around ten years old, and within days, he and a friend had ridden every branch of the New York City subway to the end of the line. In 2023, he recalled his early fascination with old houses:
"I am a bona fide OLD
HOUSE NUT! I was reared in a place called ‘Riverdale’ in the North Bronx, on
the edge of one of New York City's largest parks, Van Cortlandt Park--dominated
by the old "patroon mansion," the Frederick Van Cortlandt Mansion
(1748). From my first visit there as a little boy (about 10 years old), I was
"hooked" on old home mansions and, as soon as I was old enough, began
visiting sites that were open to the public. The Isaac Varion House (1758), the
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage (1812), the Billopp House in Staten Island (pre-1680).
By my teens, I was traveling to view old houses, like Chalkley Hall in
Philadelphia. My parents fortunately were sympathetic to my interests, and when
I was 15, treated my sister and me to a week at Williamsburg.”
In 1945, Bob was accepted into the Bronx High School of Science, founded seven years earlier as a specialized science and math high school for boys; it became co-ed in 1946. The school was located in a Gothic inspired building at Creston Avenue and 184th Street, designed by architect Charles B. J. Snyder in 1918. Bob thrived in the rigorous academic environment and initially considered science for a career before settling on English as his focus of study.
He graduated in 1949 and was a member of Arista, the name for the National Honor Society used in the New York City public schools. (The school continues today and is noted for having produced the most Nobel laureates of any secondary school in the world.)
UNIVERSITY YEARS
In the fall of 1949, Bob enrolled in the
New York University Washington Square College of Arts and Sciences. As the name
suggests, the campus surrounds Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village and,
as such, has long used the triumphal arch in the park as its unofficial symbol.
(The marble arch was designed by Stanford White in 1891 to replace a temporary
arch erected in 1889 to commemorate the centenary of George Washington’s first
inauguration). Bob received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1953, having been
elected into both Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic
honor society in the United States, and Sigma Delta Omicron, the English Honors
Society.
He continued his studies at Yale University where he received his Master of Arts in English in 1958, and his Doctor of Philosophy in English in 1961. The 1950s to the 1970s is regarded as the “glory days” of the Yale English department, with the preeminent literary critic Harold Bloom arriving at the university in 1955, and Louis Martz serving as chair of the department from 1956 to 1962. A colleague once wrote of the versatility of Professor Martz, “He was an eminent authority in English literature of the Renaissance and the 18th century, in 20th-century poetry, and in the fiction of D. H. Lawrence and Iris Murdoch.”
Just prior to Bob’s arrival at Yale, Martz had published one of his most important works, The Poetry of Meditation: A Study in English Religious Literature of the Seventeenth Century, for which he was awarded the prestigious Christian Gauss Prize. Other professors serving in the department at the time included medievalist Robert James Menner, Joseph Toy Curtiss who founded Yale’s Humanities program, Shakespearian scholar Helge Køkeritz, and Charles Prouty, the author of A Guide to Chaucer’s Pronunciation.
Bob accepted an appointment to teach English at Georgetown University, where one of his students was the future 42nd U.S. president, Bill Clinton, class of 1968. Clinton recalled Bob’s unique teaching style in his 2004 autobiography, My Life:
“My other two teachers were real characters. Robert Irving taught English to freshmen who were unprepared for his rapid-fire, acid commentary on the propensity of freshmen to be verbose and imprecise. He wrote withering comments in the margins of essays, calling one of his students ‘a capricious little bilge pump,’ responding to another's expression of chagrin with ‘turned into a cabbage, did you?’ My papers received more pedestrian rebukes: in the margins or at the end, Dr. Irving wrote ‘awk’ for awkward, ‘ugh,’ ‘rather dull, pathetic.’ On one paper I saved, he finally wrote ‘clever and thoughtful,’ only to follow it by asking me to ‘next time be a sport’ and write my essay on ‘better paper’!
“One day Dr. Irving read aloud an essay one of his former students had written on Marvell to illustrate the importance of using language with care. The student noted that Marvell loved his wife even after she died, then added the unfortunate sentence, ‘Of course physical love, for the most part, ends after death.’ Irving roared, ‘For the most part! For the most part! I suppose to some people, there's nothing better on a warm day than a nice cold corpse!’ That was a little rich for a bunch of eighteen- year-old Catholic school kids and one Southern Baptist. Wherever he is today, I dread the thought of Dr. Irving reading this book and can only imagine the scorching comments he's scribbling in the margins.”
After leaving Georgetown, Bob taught for a few years at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, which he referred to as “darkest Ohio.” His IIT colleague, John Snapper, recalled an amusing incident while Bob was at Miami:
“My favorite story from Bob about his Miami years is his discovery that the university prize winning student essay was plagiarized from the book of memoirs that the president gave to all new faculty. Implication: Bob was the only resident who read both items. I do not know if he told this story to poke fun at MU or to poke fun at himself. Probably both. Two jokes for the price of one.”
CHICAGO YEARS
In 1967, Bob accepted
the position of Associate Professor of English at IIT, a position he would hold
for the next 28 years. For several years around 1980, he served as chair of the
humanities department. Although his doctoral work had been on a late 19th
century poet, many of his courses focused on Chicago in literature.
Bob was never seen without a necktie; he owned hundreds. He once shared that his students gifted him with a plastic necktie, so that he could wear it while showering.
Shortly after arriving at IIT, Bob met George Danforth, who had taken over as chair of the College of Architecture from Mies van der Rohe. Danforth was one of the nineteen individuals who signed a resolution creating the Chicago School of Architecture Foundation in April 1966, for the purpose of purchasing Glessner House. Learning of Bob’s interest in old houses, Danforth suggested Bob visit the house, which was close to the campus.
In 2012, Bob was asked to write about his early memories of Glessner House and meeting its first full-time paid executive director for the book Jeanette Fields: A Community Life. He wrote:
“After several fruitless attempts to visit the house (there never seemed to be anyone there), I tried once more in late 1970. To my surprise and delight, I perceived that there seemed to be someone in the house. Ringing the bell (not then knowing that the bell was disconnected) I got no response, but undaunted, I tapped on the glass of one of the windows and attracted the attention of the person inside. The door was opened by Jeanette Fields.
“In my past experiences with historic houses, I noted that the caretakers of such places often seemed almost as ancient as the shrines they served. Here, on the contrary, was a young, dynamic and highly attractive woman (I later dubbed her ‘the Rita Hayworth of Restoration.’) She was a far cry from the ancient crones with whom I’d been familiar. Indeed, her youth and vitality made the then dark and grim Glessner House seem all the more dreary.
“I asked her whether I might see the interior, and she readily agreed to show me around. Those visiting the restored and gorgeously decorated Glessner House of today would scarcely recognize what the house looked like then. Its façade blackened by years of industrial soot, and largely covered with a veritable jungle of tangled vines, the house presented a looming, ominous face to the world. Within, despite the fine oak paneling and the handsomely proportioned rooms, the same gloom prevailed. Jeanette herself was the sole bright spirit in the vast lowering mansion. She told me that she had just been appointed to be the Executive Director of what was then called the Chicago School of Architecture Foundation, the owner of the house.
“As we walked about the empty rooms she waxed enthusiastic about the future of the house. She was clearly already an articulate advocate for its preservation and restoration. I couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for her, since the task she was undertaking seemed enormous and unlikely to be achieved. She quickly noticed my interest in the building, however, and told me the Foundation was planning a program under her direction to train volunteer guides to show the house, and to conduct architectural walking tours of our downtown architectural masterpieces. She was herself an experienced tour guide and was working to finalize the training program schedule. She asked me whether I might be interested in joining that first training program and learning to become a docent. Although I said yes and left her my address and telephone number, I remember thinking as I left, ‘I doubt if I’ll ever hear from her again.’ The task seemed so very daunting, and Jeanette seemed very alone in that huge house.
“My misgivings proved groundless, however, and, to my surprise, she contacted me again in January 1971. She had advertised the program and collected a group of possible trainees of whom I was one. We were each of us interviewed by Jeanette and one or two Foundation board members, in my case, Marian Despres and Barbara Wriston. We were asked about our interests in architecture, our favorite Chicago buildings, and what we thought we might be able to bring to the program. About thirty of us formed the first docent class which lasted from the winter of 1970-71 into the early spring. Thanks to the contacts she had and the assistance of Foundation Board members, Jeanette had assembled an outstanding faculty for the program. Among our instructors were Carl Condit, Paul Sprague, and Jack Hartray.”
The class graduated on Saturday, June 12, 1971, with the ceremony taking place on the north steps of the Chicago Public Library (now the Cultural Center). That afternoon, Bob led his first official tour of downtown, impressing the participants with both his encyclopedic knowledge and his ability to weave the names and dates into an engaging story.
He participated fully in the work of the Foundation, being appointed to the first Docent Council and serving as the council representative on the CSAF board, which soon elected him secretary. Bob was one of six individuals who created an exhibit at the Chicago Public Library entitled “The Glessner House Story, from Prairie Avenue Days to the Present” which was seen by thousands of people. When the Glessner descendants returned dozens of boxes of original books to the house, Bob set to work cataloging and shelving the treasured tomes back in their original location in the library. He helped set up a temporary kitchen in the former butler’s pantry, assisted with the installation of another exhibition, this one focusing on the Arts & Crafts movement, and provided commentary for the early morning CBS program, “It’s Worth Knowing About Us.”
Bob quickly became recognized as an authority on Chicago’s architecture and participated in the unsuccessful fight to save Louis Sullivan’s Stock Exchange building. The newly formed Landmarks Commission, which had designated Glessner House one of the first two landmarks in the city in October 1970 (along with Clarke House), called on Bob to recommend buildings for landmark designation, and to testify at the hearings. This was more than a decade before the Chicago Historic Resources Survey got underway to standardize the process for identifying buildings of architectural and historical merit.
Jeanette Fields recalled Bob’s ability to give an entertaining tour of Glessner House:
“The Glessners were remarkable people. They really collected the best! They collected prints, engravings. And they didn’t go for big Impressionist paintings. But they knew what they wanted and that’s what they got, and very much in the arts and crafts movement. There were the (casts of) the hands of Lincoln . . . and many pieces of sculpture that were very well known.
“I’m always amused when I think of the sculpture because there was one piece in the library that was rather erotic and it was obviously a man and a woman embracing, or making love. Anyway, when Bob Irving would give his tour, he’d say, ‘Yes, and this is a family scene!’ He was very funny. He was great. Oh, he’s marvelous. He could talk to you forever because he’s got such a mind that he doesn’t forget anything.”
Shortly after arriving in Chicago in 1967, Bob entered the offices of Waller & Beckwith, owners of the Pattington Apartments on Irving Park Road. The complex of 72 apartments, the largest in Chicago at the time of its construction 1902-1904, was a masterpiece of courtyard design by its architect, David E. Postle. He inquired about renting an apartment but was told none were available, and that units rarely came up for rent, as there was almost no turnover among residents. In 1977, the building was converted to condominiums and Bob acquired his unit, and it remained his home for the next 44 years. He helped in getting the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Bob was awarded Docent of the Year in 1984 and continued serving on the Board until 1985. But his most valuable contribution occurred just prior to that time. In the early 1980s, he developed a new walking tour called the “Riverwalk” that extended from Michigan Avenue west to the Sears Tower, crossing back and forth across the bridges over the Chicago River. In 1983, during NeoCon, the Foundation was approached by a furniture manufacturer to provide a tour guide for a cruise on a boat along the lake. They agreed but noted there was much to see along the river. Bob provided the tour, and the immensely popular river tour was born.
Bob later recalled the logic in creating the tour. “What could be nicer? You sit on your bottoms and the buildings go by! We have to do this!” In 2020, PBS host Geoffrey Baer confessed, “I stole your river reversal punchline ‘a taste of Chicago’ years ago. It gets a big laugh every time. I learned from the best!”
As new sites across the city opened for tours, Bob was always at the forefront. In 1977, the Clarke House (now known as the Clarke-Ford House), was moved from its location on the 4500 block of South Wabash, 3-1/2 miles north to a new location in the Prairie Avenue Historic District. A full restoration was undertaken by the City of Chicago, with furnishings provided by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Illinois, and it was opened to the public in 1982, with Bob as one of its first docents. (The house was operated by the Foundation, and later Glessner House, until 2015. When the city took over the tour program the next year, it required that all docents have a background check and be fingerprinted. Bob’s fingerprints were rather faint and he was called back, being told that if the new set of fingerprints wasn’t clear, he wouldn’t be able to continue as a docent, despite 34 years of service. His response? “I’m sorry, but I’ve been using my fingers for the past 85 years!” The second set of fingerprints was successful and he was able to continue as a docent.)
In 1994, Seymour Persky donated the Charnley House at 1365 N. Astor Street to the Society of Architectural Historians, which moved their offices into the building in late summer 1995. Elaine Harrington, a former curator with Glessner House who also launched the Clarke House docent program, put together a training program, and once again, Bob Irving was at the head of the docent line, sharing his knowledge of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the “first modern house in America.”
Friends of Historic Second Church was organized in 2006 to oversee the art and architecture of the landmark Second Presbyterian Church at 1936 S. Michigan Avenue. Bob completed the docent training program the next year, and delighted in sharing his knowledge of the Arts & Crafts movement and Tiffany glass to visitors from across the globe.
He remained an active Glessner House docent and was a decades-long member of its House & Collections Committee, which oversaw the planning and execution of restoration projects. When the newly developed Mother-Daughter Tea was first announced in 2010, he offered to provide the sixty teacups and five silver tea services needed. When I jokingly noted I was concerned he would now have to go without tea, he quickly noted “oh, no worries, I have another 300 teacups at home, and several more silver tea services!” Bob was also a valued member of the journal reading class, which spent several years reading through the transcribed copy of Frances Glessner’s journal, spanning 1879 to 1917 and filling 5,200 pages. He would carefully note the essential facts of every book and piece of music listed, and would share details on buildings mentioned in Chicago and across the country.
In 2016, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his 45 years of service, during the Glessner House gala held at the Chicago Club. Pauline Saliga, executive director of the Society of Architectural Historians, and a Glessner House board member, presented Bob with his award.
LATER YEARS
Bob valued the many friendships he made
among his fellow docents and thought of them as his family. He, and fellow
class of 1971 docent Bunny Selig, organized the early classes into a group
known as the Ancient Docents, which would gather each year, initially at a
restaurant, and since 2016, at Glessner House. He was especially saddened by
the death of Bunny in 2010 and Jeanette Fields in 2014.
In 2021, Glessner House held a celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the docent program. Bob was the last member of his class to still be giving tours at the house. Friends far and wide contributed to a fund to honor Bob for his 50 years of service and to commemorate his 90th birthday that same month. On June 12, 2021, the 50th anniversary of the first docent class graduation, docents gathered in the courtyard, many seeing each other for the first time since the start of the pandemic. During the program, Bob learned that the generosity of his friends had funded the recreation of the tall oak standing screen in the dining room with its embroidered Morris fabric. It was delivered to the house a few weeks later, and long-time friend and fellow docent Allan Vagner brought Bob to the house, so he could be the first one to see the screen in place.
Just a month later, Bob had a fall at his condominium, which led to a hospital stay and his eventual move to assisted living at The Admiral. He returned to Glessner House a couple of times for the Ancient Docent luncheons. His last visit to the house took place on December 3, 2024, when fellow docent Bill Hinchliff accompanied him on a tour. Before they departed, they were photographed by the front doors, recreating the pose they had struck in a photo taken exactly 45 years earlier during a Christmas party.
The photograph captured Bob’s last moments in a house that had been an incredibly important part of his life for 54 years. Bob died peacefully on the morning of April 7, 2025, but his memory will live on, carried by those who were privileged to work beside him, and all those who benefitted from his knowledge. His wish was that he would be remembered for playing an important role in making Chicago the “Architecture City.” The city could not have asked for a better ambassador in sharing its architectural heritage with the world.
