James Burton Prigoff

1927 - 2021

James Burton Prigoff
October 29, 1927 - April 21, 2021
Sacramento, California - The most recent accolade on the seemingly never-ending list of awards bestowed upon James Prigoff was his inclusion in The Explorers Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World the World Needs to Know About. A fitting honor at the end of a long and storied life. Jim was an activist, an artist, an athlete, a trailblazing explorer, and simply put… a man the world needs to know about.
James was born in New York City on October 29, 1927. After graduating high school in a swift three years and with the first of many accomplishments under his belt – The Westinghouse Science Honorable Mention Award – James moved to Cambridge to attend M.I.T. At the same time, his high school sweetheart and future wife of 72 years, Arline, attended nearby Radcliffe/Harvard College. James loved the life and family they built together – 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.
At M.I.T., James was an outstanding track star who earned Medals in arenas like the Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden; he received M.I.T.'s special "Straight T" as the team's highest point scorer. In 1975 he was included in a listing of 250 outstanding M.I.T graduates.
After college, Jim started playing Squash Tennis. Without any formal training, he won 7 National Squash Tennis Championships, was ranked third nationally in 40's doubles, runner-up in Canadian Nationals doubles, and he served as President of the National Squash Tennis Association.
Jim started his business career with Shawmut Inc. and quickly climbed the ranks of the corporate ladder with stints at Genesco, Sara Lee, and Levi Strauss. In 1984, at age 57, he decided to retire and in 1989, Arline and Jim moved to Sacramento, California.
Jim is perhaps best known for his work as a photojournalist. He documented archeological sites, natural wonders, political events, and public art. For close to 50 years, he photographed murals worldwide and became known as an urban legend as he tracked the history of graffiti. His photos and writings were seen and heard widely – the Smithsonian, MOCA in Los Angeles, the Tate Gallery to name a few – and his co-authored book, Spraycan Art, sold over 250,000 copies.
Jim traveled extensively to lecture on graffiti and to visit the galleries that showed his work. While this work is truly remarkable, nothing compared to meeting Jim in real life, undoubtedly in his woven pattern safari hat, vest, and spray-painted t-shirt. To meet Jim, was to understand the passion behind his work.
Jim was a traveler. One of his fondest memories and most entertaining stories was a three-week trip to East Africa. He and Arline drove themselves through uninhabited, and probably quite dangerous, territories and camped in a two-person tent. He returned to deliver a lecture at the New York City's famed Explorers Club titled "DO IT YOURSELF SAFARI." Jim loved the outdoors - camping for years with the family, boating, snorkeling, waterskiing, and winter skiing.
Philanthropy, international peace, and social justice were central to Jim and Arline's values. Together, they traveled to peace conferences in Beijing, Puerto Alegre, Brazil, and Prague to name a few and in 2003, he was recognized for his commitment to social change with a Dolores Huerta Award.
Jim's professional accomplishments, while extraordinary, pale in comparison to the love we feel towards him. We are eternally grateful for the 93 wonderful years Jim had and the time we got to spend with him.
Goodbye, adios, see you later, until next time – these all seem wrong. Perhaps because Jim ended every email the same way…
Paz.