Forest Fisch
Forest Norland Fisch (July 6, 1918 - April 16, 2002) was an American mathematics educator and professor of mathematics at the University of Northern Colorado.
Early Life and Academic Background
Forest Fisch was born July 6, 1918, in Cope, Colorado, to Jess and Agnes Fisch and attended public schools in Lamar and Brush, Colorado. After graduating from Brush High School, he majored in mathematics at Colorado State College of Education (now the University of Northern Colorado) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1940. He taught at Cortez Union High School until joining the Navy for World War II, where he served as a navigator in the Pacific and taught naval correspondence, naval law, and navigation at Fort Schuyler, New York. The experience led him to return to Colorado State College to pursue a career in higher education after the war.
Forest earned a master's degree from Colorado State College of Education in August of 1947. While still at CSC, by 1952 he began doctoral studies at the George Peabody College for Teachers, now part of Vanderbilt University. He took a year of leave in 1953-1954, presumably to focus on doctoral studies, and was listed as a Peabody graduate student in CSC's course catalog through 1962-1963.
Professional Career
Forest Fisch joined the faculty at Colorado State College of Education in September of 1947 as an assistant professor of mathematics and was promoted to associate professor by 1952 and to full professor in 1969. He retired in 1980 after 33 years of service. He was appointed chair of the Department of Mathematics in 1967 and served in that position until 1970 when he was succeeded by Donald Elliott.
Forest was very active in professional organizations. In 1950 he organized and formed the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics (CCTM), an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Forest served two terms as CCTM president. Forest also served as governor of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematics Association of America. Forest served on the NCTM publications committee and was often chosen as Colorado's representative at NCTM's annual delegate assembly. In 1975, he served as the local arrangements chair of the NCTM Annual Meeting, which was held in Denver that year.
Forest Fisch Distinguished Service Award
CCTM's highest award, given in recognition of a lifetime of service to mathematics education in Colorado, is named for Forest Fisch. In recognition of his service, he was named the first recipient.
Selected Publications
Nelson, N. N., & Fisch, F. N. (1973). The classical cake problem. The Mathematics Teacher, 66(7), 659–661. https://doi.org/10.5951/MT.66.7.0659