Tour Guides – U.S. Pavilion
In November of 2024 I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Pringle and Mrs. Cuyler to hear some of their memories of working as a Tour Guides at the U.S. Pavilion. Below is a transcript of my conversation with them.
Bryant: We actually started in different ways; I started after the Fair had opened where Patrica was there from the beginning. I’ll let Patricia go first then I’ll share my story about singing my way to HemisFair 68′.
Patricia: Back when I was a student at Texas Tech University I saw advertisements for the upcoming World’s Fair in San Antonio. I thought that would be fun, engaging and a way to explore our world. I remember talking to my parents about it and they were the ones who suggested working for the United States Pavilion. So, after a little research I found where the Pavilion had set up offices in the downtown area and applied for a job.
As it was a job for the U.S. national pavilion we were all employed thru the U.S. Department of Commerce and not the Fair Corporation.
Bryant: That’s right, we were employed as temporary civil servants thru the closing day of HemisFair 68′ on October 6, 1968.
I got my start with the pavilion after the Fair had opened. At the time I was with a small singing group and we were scheduled to perform on the steps of the pavilion’s theater entrance. The group was about to go on a performance tour and I just was not sure about going on. Thru a friend of mine I was introduced to one of the pavilion managers and offered a job on the spot.
Bryant: The men’s uniform was more like a business suit style with an official jacket, but the ladies had a full custom designed outfit of dark blue with white stripes down the side.
Patrica: Same as with many of the other pavilions, ours was clean lined and mostly made of polyester. The full uniform consisted of a sleeveless dress and was accented with an overlay jacket, white gloves high heel shoes.
The challenge was our uniforms as well as the majority of uniforms from other pavilions were a heavy polyester blend. During the opening & closing month of the Fair they were comfortable but during the middle summer months the South Texas heat would make the uniforms very uncomfortable.
The pavilion staff included a full-time nurse to tend to any medical issues with either guest or visitors. She would always be on hand to issue salt tablets to replenish what we were sweating out while working the courtyard station.
Bryant: Well, first it is important to note that we were split into two groups – we had a “Tour Guide Office” which worked the overall pavilion and a “Protocol Office” which was downstairs. When I first started, I was part of the that office and we were tasked with handling VIP’s, Government Dignitaries, etc… on the grounds as well as chauffeuring them to and from the Fair. After a day or so I opted to transfer upstairs to the Tour Guide office.
For the tour guides we were scheduled in two shifts – the 1st shift was from opening thru 6:00p and the 2nd shift was from 3:00p to closing. Each shift was a rotation of four positions which rotated with each film showing in the theater.
Patricia: We also had a good number of ceremonies at our pavilion during the six-month run of HemisFair. Some were tied to a visiting U.S. Government official – the President, Vice-President, Governor of Texas, members of Congress, etc… We also had a good number of military ceremonies as well as military marching bands. Each one was carefully choreographed and followed to the minute.
Bryant: At the beginning of each showing one of us would get on the public address system and greet the visitors with – “Hello and welcome to the Pavilion of the United States of America / Hola y bienvenidos al Pabellón de los Estados Unidos de América”. From there we would activate the theater system which was mostly automated, and the film would start.
Particia: Once the film was started some of us who wore high heels would sometimes sit off to the side to rest our feet for 20 minutes. After a week or so we had memorized the film and knew when to be back on our feet to staff the doors and usher the next group of visitors.
Bryant: The theater was designed in a way that visitors would enter thru the pavilion’s central courtyard and into one of three 400 seat sections. After the film was over everyone was ushered to the exit which was below the main screen on the opposite side. Once they exited the theater guests would walk up a ramp which connected to the main walkway adjacent to our pavilion. This would prevent traffic congestion after each showing of those coming and those going.
Patricia: Interesting side note is that a number of times when the theater system would switch from the three 35mm screens to the one 70mm screen some guests would get queasy. On two or three occasions housekeeping had to do some cleanup between showings.
Patricia: The 4th of July was a pretty busy day for us, not only was it U.S. Independance Day but we also had a visit from then President Lyndon Johnson & Mrs. Johnson. The office had assigned me the task of presenting a bouquet of roses to Mrs. Johnson upon their arrival. I remember the Protocol Office held a reception for them downstairs before they ventured out into the fairgrounds.
Bryant: One of the other duties some of us had was that of a courier. A few times I remember our office manager would tell me to take his car and collect a VIP from the airport and bring them back to the pavilion. We would show airport security our credentials and drive on to the tarmac to meet the plane directly.
On one occasion I was tasked with going to a local office on Commerce St. which runs thru town to drop off some papers. I was given the address and headed out, what I didn’t notice was that the address was on East Commerce St. as I headed out on West Commerce St. I remember finding the number address after a long drive, which was an empty field and being completely confused. The neighboring business explained (after laughing) that I was on the wrong side of town.
Overall, it was a great six months – lots a fun among the pavilion staff and we always had decent crowds visiting the pavilion. On some days we had larger crowds but we never got tired.
Patricia: The exhibit hall was unique in its design which featured two sloping ramps and multiple displays telling the early story of the United States. I remember the one exhibit telling the story of those who sailed to the new world including a machine spraying an ocean scented mist.
Patricia: The food at the Fair was unique, it is where I had my first Belgian waffle. Also, just off of our pavilion was a small eatery serving Tandoori Chicken which some of us ate at frequently.
I remembered the Pepsi Cola/ Frito Lay venue which featured the Los Voladors was always a popular attraction. It was always neat to see the performers climb up the pole & use ropes to unwind their way back to the ground. One eye catching feature of the show was when the chief’s daughter removed her top before being sacrificed which was 3 or 4 times a day.
Bryant: I enjoyed going into the foreign nations area to the House of Sir John Falstaff. As long as we did not overindulge, we were allowed to have a beer during our lunch break.
The national pavilion of Mexico had a great bunch of tour guides. Sometimes when we were not working, I would meet up with some of them and hang out.
The big thing I did when I was not working was to visit every other pavilion, venue & restaurant at the Fair. The one show I really enjoyed was the Ski Show on the far side of the Tower of the Americas. It was amazing how they were able to do an action-packed show within such a small lake area. As far as national pavilions, the one I enjoyed most (outside of ours) was the State of Texas pavilion. Sometimes when I was working and doing a private tour, I would take them there as well.
Bryant: At the end of HemisFair, a number of us on the staff were invited to participate in being part of the U.S. Pavilion at EXPO 70′ in Osaka, Japan. I declined as I wanted to go back to university to finish out my degree.
One thing I do remember about HemisFair 68′ in general was how it did not appear to be well promoted nationally. A few times I remember speaking with visitors from New England and they would comment on how they did not really know about our World’s Fair until they arrived. At one point the Fair corporation recruited a few guides and sent them on a promotional tour well after the Fair had opened.
Patricia: That’s right, one of the guides from our pavilion by the name of Sylvia was on that trip. She only had a few days to expand her knowledge to include every pavilion, venue, and general information on the city & state.
Bryant: Overall, it had a positive effect on my life. It expanded my understanding of the world and other cultures.
Patricia: For me it taught me how to be comfortable in large event situations and became fascinated in meeting people from other nations. Each day was different, and we rarely met the same person twice. After HemisFair 68′ I went on to work as an air stewardess for Delta Airlines.
