The presidency of James L. Fisher was marked by growth, change, and turbulence both within the Towson school community and the outside world. Born in 1931 in Decatur, Illinois to Morris Lee and Vera Brant Fisher, Dr. Fisher first attended Millikin University in Decatur. Before he could complete his degree, however, he served in Marine Corps Intelligence from 1951 until 1954 during the Korean War. Upon his return to civilian life, Fisher enrolled in Illinois State University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1956 and graduate degree in history a year later. At this time, he also taught history at Rich Township High School in Park Forest, Illinois. In 1959, Fisher served as the Assistant Director of Admissions at Northwestern University, and became the Director of Student Financial Aids as well a year later. He served in these positions until 1963, the same year he earned his doctorate degree in psychology from that same institution. For the next 6 years, Fisher steadily moved up the administrative ladder at Northwestern. By the time he left in 1969 to become Towson’s ninth president, he had served as a Vice President at Northwestern for two years. When Fisher arrived at Towson, it had already gone through the transition of becoming a liberal arts college in 1963. His predecessor, Dr. Earle T. Hawkins, expanded the campus’ footprint with 11 new buildings, and its enrollment from 600 students to 8,000. The college was now the second largest public institution of higher learning in the state of Maryland, a distinction it retains to the present. Fisher was eager to continue that trend. During his tenure, 11 more buildings were added to campus, and enrollment climbed to almost 11,000 students. He also expanded the administrative offices of the college, creating 4 vice-presidential positions, establishing 5 academic deans, founding the Academic Council as a legislative and advisory body of faculty and students, and creating the Office of Institutional Development. In terms of enhancing academics, Fisher also oversaw the addition of a winter session, expanded graduate and continuing education programs and added new programs in nursing, occupational therapy and business. But Fisher also served during a time of great national and local turmoil. In 1970, after the shootings at Kent State, colleges scrambled to address the growing unrest on campuses across the country. Fisher created a “code” to deal with protestors and to keep the campus safe in the midst of such turbulence. He was appointed as a consultant to Robert Finch, a White House advisor to Nixon who was charged with making recommendations regarding campus protests. That same year, members of the Black Student Union on campus marched to the Administration Building and presented Fisher with a list of demands regarding integration on campus. Also in 1970, after denying the hanging of an exhibit by photographer, M. Richard Kirstel, Kirstel hung the show on campus anyway and was arrested for trespassing. In 1972, reacting to individuals protesting US Marine recruiters presence on campus, Fisher had the protestors arrested for trespassing. Fisher faced other controversies while in office. In 1972, he and other campus administrators were questioned during an audit about spending they did as officers of the Towson Foundation. Ultimately, the spending was deemed legal. A year later, he dealt with three challenges: concern with his role on a CATV advisory committee, uproar over a Buick that a local dealership had loaned to the college for four months of the year, and the fallout over a new position. California State University at San Francisco approached Fisher to become president upon the retirement of Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa. Fisher ultimately turned down the job because he had been offered a chancellor position that was to be created to oversee the state colleges of Maryland, but the job never materialized. Fisher’s frustration with what he perceived as the state’s disregard for Towson’s potential was underscored by the fight to have the name changed in 1976. Fisher maintained that the name change was necessary to attract prospective students and add credence to the work done on campus. Governor Mandel vetoed the change, fearing it would lead to all the other state colleges to want to also change their names. After specific guidelines were created to establish the difference between a college and university, guidelines that Towson met, Towson State College became Towson State University on July 1, 1976. In 1976, Fisher declared he was thinking about running for the Governor’s seat in the 1978 election, but ultimately decided against it. He began a radio program on WBAL in 1977 called “Chats with Dr. James Fisher” which caused some controversy because of his prior declaration that he was thinking of running for Governor. In 1978, Fisher resigned to become the president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in Washington, DC.