Mary Stuart Fisher, MD

Dr. Fisher was a woman of “firsts.” Born on August 12, 1922 in Binghamton, NY to Stuart Banyar Blakely, MD and Miriam Brothers Blakely, Dr. Fisher was first in her Binghamton, New York high school class, first in her class at Bryn Mawr College, and first in her class at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She was the first woman president of the Philadelphia Roentgen Ray Society (the oldest radiological society in the world), and the first woman physician to have her portrait commissioned and hung at Temple University Medical School. Married to George Ross Fisher III, MD in 1950, she spent 50 years teaching diagnostic radiology to generations of Philadelphia medical students and residents. One of her notable former students, New York University professor of radiology, Hildegard Toth, MD was recently quoted as follows in Radiata (New York University radiology news magazine):

Radiology became my choice and Dr. Mary Fisher was my reason. She was elegant, beautiful, and very smart. She simply flipped up the (chest x-ray), told the patient’s story and was always certain of the diagnosis. How did she do that? What did she see that others did not? I wanted to do this too. She still has no idea of the influence she had on my career choice. Radiata (Spring/Summer 2005, pp 1-5).

She was offered the chairmanship of the departments of radiology at nearly all the hospitals in Philadelphia and declined them all, remarking that she “didn’t want to be the chairman of anything.”

Her first teaching appointment, after completing her internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, was at the Philadelphia Veteran’s Administration Hospital under the tutelage of George Wohl, MD. She then spent 15 years at Philadelphia General Hospital, which had affiliations with all of the medical schools in Philadelphia. In a June, 2005 interview, Dr. Fisher stated that, if she were in a vegetative state and were asked where she worked, she would probably still say “PGH!”

After PGH closed in 1975, she joined the staff of Temple University Medical School where she served on the staff of the Diagnostic Imaging Department and continued to train medical students and residents as Professor of Radiology until her retirement in 2003 (at the age of 80!).

Dr. Fisher was a diplomat of the American Board of Radiology since 1953; a member of the American Medical Association, the Philadelphia County Medical Society, the Philadelphia Roentgen Ray Society (President 1982-1983), the Radiological Society of North America, the Association of University Radiologists, the Association of Women in Radiology, the Pennsylvania Radiological Society, the Society of Thoracic Radiologists; a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and of the American College of Radiology; and a consultant for the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Dr. Fisher published nearly 50 articles and book chapters, and over 35 papers, presentations, and exhibits on radiology, spanning a wide range of subjects; she commented that one paper or article per year was ‘about right.’ She was honored throughout her career for her contributions to the field. These honors include the Russell P. Moses Memorial Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching (Temple University, 1980); Honored Radiologist (Pennsylvania Radiological Society, 1985); Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (Temple, 1985); “Golden Apple” (Temple medical students’ award for favorite teacher, 1990); Marie Curie Award (American Association for Women Radiologists, 1992); Outstanding Educator Award (Philadelphia Roentgen Ray Society, 1992); and Physician of the Year (Temple University Hospital, 1996).

Born under the annual August Perseid meteor shower, Dr. Fisher traveled widely throughout the world to see the Perseids in different locales. She attended Haddonfield (NJ) Friends Meeting for the past 50 years, and served on the school committee of the Haddonfield Friends School long after her children graduated. She spent 25 years caring for, in turn, her mother; her aunt, and her mother-in-law. She loved gardening, music, and her family.

If you are interested in receiving an oral history of Dr.Fisher on DVD, send an email request to MSchaefer@chemheritage.org.