William Frederick Fisher (born April 1, 1946) is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. Fisher went into space in 1985 on board the Space Shuttle. He retired from NASA in 1992 and returned to the full-time practice of medicine. His time at NASA coincided with that of his former wife and fellow astronaut Anna Lee Fisher. He is also the great grandson of Pony Express rider William Frederick Fisher (1839 - 1919) Early life Fisher was born April 1, 1946, in Dallas, Texas. Education 1964: Graduated from North Syracuse Central High School, North Syracuse, New York 1968: Received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University 1969–1971: Performed graduate work in Microbiology at the University of Florida 1975: Received a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Florida 1975–1977: Residency in General Surgery from UCLA Medical Center 1978–1980: Performed graduate work in Engineering at the University of Houston Career Fisher graduated from Stanford University in 1968, and later served as a mountaineering instructor in Leysin, Switzerland. He attended medical school at the University of Florida, graduating in 1975. After medical school, Fisher completed a surgical residency from 1975 to 1977 at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. He entered private practice in emergency medicine in 1977. He also attended graduate school at the University of Houston from 1978 to 1980. He was accepted as a NASA astronaut in 1980. He has logged over 2,000 hours in prop, rotary-wing, jet aircraft and spacecraft. NASA career Fisher was selected as NASA Astronaut in 1980. His technical assignments included: scientific equipment operator for high altitude research on the WB-57F aircraft (1980–1981); astronaut medical support for the first four Shuttle missions (1980–1982); astronaut office representative for Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit) and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) procedures and development, including thermal vacuum testing of the suit (1981–1984); astronaut office representative for the Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) procedures and development (1982–1983); Astronaut office representative for Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) development (1983); support crewman for STS-8; CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9; Remote Manipulator System (RMS) hardware and software development team (1983); Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) development team (1983); Deputy Director of NASA Government-furnished and Contractor-furnished Equipment (1982–1983); Chief of Astronaut Public Appearances (1985–1987); Member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (1986–1991); NASA Medicine Policy Board (1987–1991); Astronaut Office Space Station Manned Systems Division, and Health Maintenance Facility (1987–1989); Astronaut Office representative