William Frederick Fisher

William Frederick Fisher (born April 1, 1946) is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut.

Personal
Born April 1, 1946, in Dallas, Texas. He was married to a fellow astronaut, Anna Lee Fisher of St. Albans, New York on August 23, 1977. They have two daughters, Kristin Anne (b. July 29, 1983), who is a Washington D.C.-based correspondent for the Fox News Channel, and Kara Lynne (b. January 10, 1989), who is currently enrolled in an MBA program at SMU in Dallas, Texas. The Drs. Fisher were divorced in 2000.

Dr. Fisher enjoys alpine skiing, water skiing, mountain climbing, flying, skydiving, camping, and most New Adventures. His favorite book is Robert Fagel's translation of Homer's Iliad. He loves opera, but prefers to listen rather than to attend. He appreciates most types of music, but with the exception of Eminem, dislikes Rap. Dr. Fisher collects Bill Graham Fillmore, Family Dog, and other rock/concert music posters from the 1965-1973 time frame. He is an amateur luthier, specializing in making, repairing, and refinishing Neapolitan-style mandolins. Dr. Fisher is also the owner of Twenty-First Century Arms, a sporting goods company, and is a both a Federal Firearms Licensee and NFA Firearms Dealer.

Career
Fisher was graduated from Stanford University in 1968, and later served as an instructor in Mountaineering in Leysin, Switzerland. He attended medical school at the University of Florida, graduating in 1975. After medical school, Fisher completed a surgical residency from 1975 to 1977 at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. He entered private practice in emergency medicine in 1977 t, He also attended graduate school at the University of Houston from 1978 to 1980. He was accepted as a NASA astronaut in 1980.

He has logged over 2,000 hours in prop, rotary-wing, jet aircraft and spacecraft.

NASA career
Fisher was selected as NASA Astronaut in 1980. His technical assignments included: scientific equipment operator for high altitude research on the WB-57F aircraft (1980–1981); astronaut medical support for the first four Shuttle missions (1980–1982); astronaut office representative for Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit) and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) procedures and development, including thermal vacuum testing of the suit (1981–1984); astronaut office representative for the Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) procedures and development (1982–1983); Astronaut office representative for Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) development (1983); support crewman for STS-8; CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9; Remote Manipulator System (RMS) hardware and software development team (1983); Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) development team (1983); Deputy Director of NASA Government-furnished and Contractor-furnished Equipment (1982–1983); Chief of Astronaut Public Appearances (1985–1987); Member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (1986–1991); NASA Medicine Policy Board (1987–1991); Astronaut Office Space Station Manned Systems Division, and Health Maintenance Facility (1987–1989); Astronaut Office representative on space crew selection and retention standards for Space Station (1989–1991). Fisher also continued to practice Emergency Medicine in the greater Houston area in conjunction with his Astronaut duties.

Fisher was a mission specialist on STS-51-I, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 27, 1985. STS-51-I was acknowledged as the most successful Space Shuttle mission yet flown. The crew aboard Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery deployed three communications satellites, the Navy SYNCOM IV-4, the Australian AUSSAT, and American Satellite Company's ASC-1. They also performed a successful on-orbit rendezvous with the ailing 15,400 pound SYNCOM IV-3 satellite, and two EVAs (space walks) by Fisher and van Hoften to repair it, including the longest space walk in history (at that time). Discovery completed 112 orbits of the Earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 3, 1985. Fisher logged over 170 hours in space, including 11 hours and 52 minutes of Extravehicular Activity (EVA).

Post NASA
After leaving NASA, Fisher returned to the practice of medicine.

Education

 * 1964: Graduated from North Syracuse Central High School, North Syracuse, New York
 * 1968: Received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University
 * 1969–1971: Performed graduate work in Microbiology at the University of Florida
 * 1975: Received a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Florida
 * 1975–1977: Residency in General Surgery from UCLA Medical Center
 * 1978–1980: Performed graduate work in Engineering at the University of Houston

Organizations

 * Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine
 * Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
 * Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine
 * Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine
 * Fellow of the World Association of Astronauts and Cosmonauts
 * Member, Association of Space Explorers (ASE)
 * Member, Wilderness Medical Society
 * Associate Air Traffic Control Specialist
 * Honorary Member, The St. Andrew Society of Tokyo and Yokahama
 * Board Member, Stanford on the Moon Project
 * Member, The Rock Poster Society (TRPS)

Awards and honors

 * American Astronautical Society Victor A. Prather Award for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Extravehicular Activity (1985)
 * Federation Aeronautique Internationale V.M. Komarov Diploma for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Exploration of Outer Space(Awarded to the STS-51 Crew) (1985)
 * NASA Space Flight Medal (1985)
 * NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1988)
 * Group Achievement Awards for EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit or "Space Suit") and MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit) Development (1983, 1984)
 * Group Achievement Awards for Payload Assist Module (PAM) Software Development and Vehicle Integration (1983)
 * Named an ad hoc member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (1986–1991)
 * Appointed a member of the NASA Medicine Policy Board (1987–1991)