1. Date of Birth: 30 August 1916
2. Career:
1939 Graduated (from the University College of North Wales, Bangor) Honours in Botany (Class II, Division 1)
1939 University of Cambridge, research student in Trinity College and the Botany School
1941 Commissioned as Photographical Intelligence Officer in the Royal Air Force. Held the rank of Squadron Leader from May 1944.
1946 Demobilised. Cytologist in the Research Department of the Mount Vernon Hospital and the Radium Institute, Northwood, Middlesex.
1947 Appointed Assistant Lecturer for Cytogenetics in the Botany and Zoology Departments at the University of Sheffield.
1948 Ph.D. Cambridge.
1954 Promoted Senior Lecturer in charge of newly created Department of Genetics.
1959 Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics, Cambridge. Fellow Emmanuel College Cambridge.
1964 Sc.D. Cambridge. Fellow Royal Society
1983 Professor Emeritus. Life Fellow Emmanuel College Cambridge.
1984-86 Leverhulme Emeritus Research Fellow.
3. Other activities:
1949-52 Sub-warden, Crewe Hall: Residence for Men
1949-52 Secretary, University Philosophical Society
1952-59 Board of Faculty of Pure Science
Board of Faculty of Social Studies
1952-55 Committee, University Staff House Club
1954-59 Board of Faculty of Medicine
1953-57 Representative of Non-Professorial Staff on University Senate
1954-59 Faculty representative on University Library Committee
1955-57 Secretary of Non-Professorial Staff Association
1955-56 President, University Philosophical Society
1955-59 University representative on Board of Barnsley Grammar School
A
1959-81 Faculty Board of Biology A - Chairman twice
It was during first chairmanship that the first year interdepartmental courses 'Biology of Cells' and 'Biology of Organisms' were established. These gave the Department of Genetics (founded 1912) its first place in the formal curriculum of first year students in 1964. Ten years later a place was made in the second year courses. Fisher established a third year (Part II) course. A total of 10 students read this course between 1953 and 1958.
1960-61 Moved the Genetics Department from its house in Storey's Way (endowed under the Arthur Balfour fund in 1912) to laboratories on Milton Road on the outskirts of Cambridge
1976 Established the department in the Downing Site with room for 20 part II students.
1976-80 General Board of the Faculties and Chairman of its Committee on Needs of Faculties and Departments.
B
1952-55 Genetical Society Committee.
1954 Elected Member of Radiation Research Society of America.
1956 Vice-President, Section K, British Association for Advancement of Science.
1956-60 Secretary, Genetical Sub-committee Sections D and K, British Association for Advancement of Science.
1962-63 Director, OECD Project for reform of Secondary School Biology Teaching. President of Conference on the topic. Editor of Proceedings 'New Thinking on School Biology'. Subsequently delegate to Latin American meeting with similar aims, and member of Nuffield A-level Biology Committee.
1975-78 President, Genetical Society.
1982 Chairman, National Committee for Biology.