Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Charles Henry Fisher Collection, approximately 1880-1984
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Charles Henry Fisher Collection
- Dates
- approximately 1880-1984 (inclusive)18801984
- Quantity
- 4 linear ft., (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- XOE_SC0005Fisher
- Summary
- The Charles Henry Fisher Collection contains personal and professional papers documenting the Fisher Family and Charles' career as the fourth President of Bellingham Normal School (later Western Washington College of Education).
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Special Collections
Wilson Library 6th Floor
516 High Street MS9103
Bellingham WA
98225-9123
Telephone: (360) 650-3193
Fax: (360) 650-3044
speccoll@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Some access restrictions may apply - contact repository for details.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Charles Henry (C.H.) Fisher was born on April 25, 1880 in York County, Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PN in 1904. While attending Lebanon he met Mary Light whom he later married in 1909. Between 1910 and 1917 the Fishers had three sons and one daughter – William, Robert, Charles, and Mary.
Fisher received a Master’s in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1915 and then taught at the high school level in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for several years. He later served as the head of the Education Department at West Chester State Normal School, as Executive in the Department of Public Instruction at Swarthmore College and then at Harrisburg and, following that, as President of Bloomsburg State Normal School. In 1923 he accepted the Presidency at Bellingham Normal School in Washington State.
While at Bellingham Normal Fisher reformed the standards of professional education considerably. The original requirement for obtaining a teaching degree was one year of classes; he raised the requirement to three years. Fisher also sought to include different curricula, eventually creating a group of general education classes which laid the foundation for a four-year college program. On Feb. 9, 1933, the Washington State Legislature authorized the school to issue Bachelor of Arts degrees in Education. In 1937 Bellingham Normal became Western Washington College of Education (WWCE).
In addition to advancing WWCE’s educational program, Fisher also expanded the actual size of campus. In 1923, the Normal School consisted of a main building, heating plant, and a dormitory. Two new buildings were constructed during Fisher’s tenure, including the library in 1928 and the gym in 1935.
In April 1935 a group of concerned Bellingham citizens brought ten charges against Fisher, including that he promoted liberal and non-traditional religious ideas at the college. The group and WWCE Board of Trustees continued applying pressure to oust Fisher and, in 1939, Washington State Governor Clarence D. Martin asked him to resign from Western. The governor cited Fisher’s “lack of tact” and argued that the decision would benefit the college.
Charles Henry died in Seattle, Washington, in 1964. The Charles H. Fisher Memorial Fountain on Western’s campus was dedicated in May 1968.
Sources: “College Group Raps Ouster of Dr. Fisher,” Western Front, October 16, 1970. “Bloomsburg Administrator Attained National Notoriety,” Bloomsburg University newspaper, April 18, 1984.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Charles Henry Fisher Collection contains personal and professional papers documenting the Fisher Family and Charles’ career as the fourth President of Bellingham Normal School (later Western Washington College of Education).
The Fisher Family Papers contain genealogical and biographical information about several generations of Fishers, including Charles’ parents and children. The papers also include personal correspondence between C.H. and Mary Fisher and their children – William, Robert, Charles, and Mary, as well as several other family members.
C.H. Fisher’s Professional Papers include material from his tenure at Bellingham Normal/Western Washington College of Education through his controversial dismissal in 1939. There are also papers related to subsequent activities following his departure from WWCE.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Material in the collection may be subject to copyright restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Charles Henry Fisher Collection, Special Collections, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The Charles Henry Fisher Collection is organized according to the following series arrangement:
- Series I. Fisher Family Papers, approximately 1880-1977
- Series II. C.H. Fisher Professional Papers, approximately 1926-1984
Acquisition Information
Some material was transferred from the University of Washington Special Collections in May 2005, and the bulk of the collection was donated by Mary Ann Fisher in November 2006.
Related Materials
Related material is available in the Bellingham Herald collection on Charles H. Fisher located at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies. The University Archives also has records related to Charles H. Fisher's tenure as President of the Western Washington College of Education.
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see our Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I : Fisher Family Papers , approximately 1880-1977 Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Fisher family genealogical and biographical material |
undated |
1/2 | C.H. Fisher personal papers - educational materials, record book, CV, and
union membership cards |
approximately 1911-1946 |
Box | ||
Oversize Box | Degrees and certificates |
approximately 1900s-1910s |
Box/Folder | ||
1/3 | Fisher children personal papers - diaries, expense records, and
speeches |
approximately 1907-1947 |
1/4 | William Fisher reminiscences |
1977 |
Correspondence
|
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/5 | C.H. Fisher - incoming from Leona
Sundquist |
1960 August 12 |
1/6 | C.H. Fisher - outgoing, general |
1949; ; 1963 |
1/7 | C.H. Fisher - outgoing to William Fisher |
1961-1964 |
1/8 | C.H. Fisher - outgoing to Robert Fisher |
1962-1964 |
1/9 | C.H. Fisher - outgoing to Mary Nichols |
1963-1964 |
1/10 | C.H. Fisher - outgoing to Judy Bahl
(granddaughter) |
1963 |
1/11 | Fisher family |
1963-1964 |
1/12 | William Fisher - incoming and outgoing |
1930; ; 1964-1975 |
1/13 | Re: death of C.H. Fisher |
1964-1965 |
Photographs
|
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/14 | Fisher family |
approximately 1890s-1910s |
1/15 | Fisher family |
approximately 1920s-1930s |
1/16 | C.H. Fisher |
undated |
Series II : C.H. Fisher Professional Papers , approximately 1926-1984 Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Western Washington College of Education
material
|
||
Box/Folder | ||
2/1 | Album of campus photos and letter presented to C.H.
Fisher from WWSC faculty |
1939 |
2/2 | Articles and papers about C.H. Fisher's discmissal
from WWSC |
approximately 1939-1984 |
2/3 | Bulletin of the American Association of University
Professors |
1941 February |
2/4 | Correspondence re: C.H. Fisher portrait for WWSC
President's office |
1974 |
2/5 | Fisher Fountain Dedication Program |
1968 May 25 |
2/6 | Fisher Memorial Fund - comments from
donors |
1968 |
2/7 | Fisher Memorial Fund - possible donors * File Restricted
|
1968 |
2/8 | "Lecture and Entertainment" course description by
C.H. Fisher |
1926-1927 |
2/9 | Newspaper clippings |
approximately 1930s-1980s |
2/10 | Resolutions in support of C.H. Fisher from faculty
and teachers |
1939 |
2/11 | "Western at 75" by Dr. Arthur C. Hicks |
1974 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/12 | Congressional campaign materials |
1940 |
2/13 | "Lifes Broad Street" - sheet music by Alexander Campbell with inscription to
C.H. Fisher |
undated |
2/14 | Miscellaneous professional papers |
1947 |
2/15 | Notes for speeches, etc. |
undated |
2/16 | State Board of Education materials |
1940-1941 |
2/17 | Statement from the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists - form letters
from Albert Einstein seeking financial support for atomic research |
1947 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Washington State Normal School (Bellingham, Wash.) -- Presidents.
- Western Washington College of Education -- Presidents.
Personal Names
- Fisher, Charles Henry, -- 1880-1964 -- Archives.
- Fisher, Charles Henry, -- 1880-1964 -- Correspondence.
- Fisher, Charles Henry, -- 1880-1964 -- Photographs.
Form or Genre Terms
- Personal correspondence.
- Records (Documents)