Professor John H. Fisher

Professor John Hurt Fisher passed away on Tuesday, February 17, at the age of 95. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1919, just as his parents had joined the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions as educational missionaries to Persia. He celebrated his first birthday in Bombay, India, and then traveled by rail to Calcutta, up the Persian Gulf to Basra, Iraq, and finally by horse and wagon to Hamadan (the ancient Etebana in the Book of Ruth) He lived for the next fourteen years in this ancient summer capital of Darius and Xerxes. John’s youth was genuinely Kiplingesque: he was tutored by his parents in the classics in the mission compound, cared for by an Assyrian nanny and played with Persian children. His early years were thus trilingual – Assyrian, Farsi, and English. By the time John returned to the U.S. he was sent on his own via a “taxi” service - “Rolls Royce Ltd, gigantic old Rolls Royce that carried passengers along the old silk road, picking up in Terran, Baghdad, Damascus and on westward to Istanbul. Professionally, John H. Fisher was widely accomplished as a teacher, scholar, and administrator, with a teaching career that spanned more than 50 years, a publishing career of more than 60, and an equally impressive record of academic service. He attended Maryville College, TN (A.B. 1940), Distinguished Alumni Citation (1963), Board of Directors (1972–75). His graduate study was at the University of Pennsylvania (A.M., 1942; Ph.D., 1945). He was awarded L.H.D. by Loyola University of Chicago (1970) and Litt.D. by Middlebury College, VT (1970). A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he served as senator-at-large (1977-83). He was known by his colleagues as an extraordinarily generous and helpful man who aided the careers of many. He began teaching as a graduate assistant at University of Pennsylvania (1942-45), and served on the faculties of New York University (1945-55, 1962-72); Duke University (1955-60); Indiana University (1960-62); summers at University of Southern California (1955) and University of Michigan (1956); John C, Hodges Professor of English, University of Tennessee (1972-88), Head of Tennessee English Department (1976-78); Visiting Professor New York University (1990) and University of Texas at San Antonio (1996). His scholarly contributions are in American Education, the English Language, and Medieval Literature. In additional to numerous articles, he wrote or edited many books, including The Tretyse of Loue (Early English Text Society, 1951; reprinted 1970), John Gower, Moral Philosopher and Friend of Chaucer (New York University Press, 1964, Methuen 1965), The College Teaching of English (National Council of the Teachers of English, 1965), The Medieval Literature of Western Europe (Modern Language Association, 1966), In Forme of Speche is Chaunge: Readings in the History of the English Language (Prentice-Hall, 1974, University Press of America, 1984), The Complete Poetry and Prose of Geoffrey Chaucer (3 editions 1977, 1988, 2012); An Anthology of Chancery English (University of Tennessee Press, 1984), The Essential Chaucer (G. K. Hall and Mansell, 1987), The Importance of Chaucer (University of Southern Illinois Press, 1991), The Emergence of Standard English (University of Kentucky Press, 1995), The Complete Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer (Cengage, 2005), and The Variorum Edition of The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale (Uinversity of Oklahoma Press, 2012). He served as Assistant Secretary of the Modern Language Association of America (1948–52), MLA Treasurer (1952–55), MLA Executive Secretary and Editor of PMLA (1963-71), MLA Vice-President (1972–73), MLA President (1974). He co-founded the New Chaucer Society in 1974 and served as its Bibliographer (1974–77), President (1982), and Director (1982–89). He was elected Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America (1983), Academy Vice-President (1985–86), Academy President (1987), and President of the Academy Society of Fellows (1993–96). He served as English Consultant to the National Endowment for the Humanities (1965–88), NEH Senior Research Fellow (1975–76); member of the U.S. Commission for UNESCO (1965–69); member of the Federation Internationales des Langues et Literatures Modernes (1967–71), FILLM American Vice President (1972–74); American Committee of the Modern Humanities Research Association (1972–92); and National Council of the Teachers of English Distinguished Lecturer (1972). A biography and bibliography of Fisher's professional career through 1986 are available in Standardizing English: Essays in the History of the English Language in Honor of John Hurt Fisher, edited by Joseph B. Trahern, Jr. (University of Tennessee Press, 1989). Annually, the John Gower Society awards the John Hurt Fisher Prize for the year's most significant publication in the field of John Gower Studies. John was preceded in death by his parents Commodore and Frankie Fisher, his wife Jane, his siblings Dr. Craig Fisher, Margaret Hertel, and Mary Cotugno, and his grand-son Prof. Kelly Lowe. He is survived by his wife Audrey Duncan Fisher, children John C. Fisher and wife Ronni, Prof. Judy Fisher and husband Prof. Mark Allen, and Janice Lowe and husband Prof. Alan Craven. Grand children Chris and wife Bradie Lowe, Elizabeth and husband Mathew Hoffmann, and Lori wife of Kelly Lowe. Five great grand- children and many nieces and nephews A Celebration of John’s life will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral on Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. followed by a reception in the Great Hall. Officiating will be The Very Rev. John C. Ross, Dean of the Cathedral. Burial will be private In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. John’s Cathedral 413 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902 or The Knoxville Opera Company 612 East Depot Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917

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Professor John H. Fisher

October 26, 1919 - February 17, 2015