136 the University of Illinois for graduate work in chemistry. He left there during World War II to serve for two years as a Research Chemist on the Manhattan Project, a code name for the Atomic Bomb Pro-je-ct~;-~whic-h produced the first atomic bomb. In 1946, he returned to the Univ,ersity to complete his doctor's degree in Analytic Chemistry. While there, he met his wife Mary Ellen, who was also a student at the University. They graduated to- gether, she with a B. A. degree and he with a Ph. D. After graduation, they were married in June, 1956, and he taught two years as full time instructor in chemistry at the University. While a student at the University of Illinois, he attended the Twin City Bible Church. Later, he was active in the United Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, Indiana, serving as a ruling elder. He also was an interim pastor for almost two years and was involved in the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship as a Faculty Sponsor while teaching at the University of Indiana, where he taught chemistry for sixteen years. In 1963, Dr. Fischer came to California to serve as one of eight mem- bers on the Planning Staff to establish an entirely new Branch of the Calif- fornia State College in Dominguez Hills. During his sixteen years there on the faculty, he served as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, also doubling in such positions as Dean of the Graduate Studies, Dean of Academic Administration, and other positions of leadership. When Dr. Fischer came to Biola in 1979, he had known about the School for several years because one of his daughters attended Biola two years in the late 1960's, and another daughter graduated from the School shortly be- fore her father became a member of the faculty. At that time, Biola was in a state of transition from the college status to that of a university, out of which came the title of Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr . Fischer was given the position which now added to the responsibili- ties of the Dean's office, those of all the instructional Schools of Biola,
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter