William Fisher, RIP

I was saddened to learn today that my dear friend and colleague, William ("Bill") Fisher died on June 11 at the age of 84.

Bill started out as a newspaper reporter in the 1950s, and then was recruited by the John F. Kennedy administration to be a presidential speech writer and public affairs specialist. He later moved on to an illustrious career in international development in the Middle East, Latin America, and elsewhere.

I first met Bill about 10 years ago, when we were both becoming involved in intense left-leaning journalism and op-ed writing in the wake of 9/11 and the ensuing human rights issues related to the George W. Bush administration's "war on terror". Bill, who had long since retired from his day job, proudly told me that he chose to write so that he could donate his pay to his granddaughter's college fund. But his granddaughter isn't the only one who has benefited from his writing.

Bill approached each and every issue with fairness, thoroughness, and abundant research. His integrity was beyond dispute.

I still have every email that Bill and I have exchanged, and I don't think I'll ever delete them. He was, and will always be, an inspiration.

You can read his official obituary on his website here.