Fisher makes a bid for retirement

Though his office is in the Peterson Building on the eastern edge of campus, Tom Fisher’s job has always allowed him to keep his fingers on the pulse of the university. After 35 years with UW–Madison, Fisher will retire as associate director of purchasing services in February, following a sabbatical/vacation beginning Oct. 16.

When he first came to campus in 1968, Vietnam protests were beginning to heat up. Since many protests, and later a Teaching Assistants’ Association strike, took place outside the Peterson Building, the trip to work was often an interesting, if not frightening, experience.

“I sometimes had to step over people to get in and out of the building,” Fisher says. “There was always tear gas in the air.”

In those days, the office used manual typewriters and the university had to take bids on any purchase costing more than $100. Today, with Fisher’s help, the purchasing process is handled online, using an electronic purchasing system implemented in the mid-1980s. It has also been twice enhanced with more efficient processing software applications, and more recently, with Web-based supplies ordering.

But Fisher’s mission has hardly changed. He has continued to advise, assist and educate researchers and other faculty and staff on how best to obtain the equipment and supplies they need. Sometimes, those supplies could be a bit unusual, especially when delivered to the second floor of Peterson by mistake.

“We’ve had live animals end up in purchasing — things like turtles, chickens and snakes. It’s always fun to see what the next delivery will bring,” Fisher says.

“I would have to say the most interesting transaction through the years would be the Gamelan,” he adds, remembering the musical instruments he helped import from Java for the School of Music. “Sometime thereafter, Purchasing Services was treated to a performance in the Humanities Building.”

The people he has met and what those people have taught him have given Fisher a deep appreciation for the university, and they are what he will miss most.

“It is always so exciting to meet with researchers and find out their needs,” he says. “You find out such interesting things about their work, things that they love to show you.”

Two years ago, Fisher, who at the time was serving as interim director of purchasing, began mentoring the new purchasing director, Mike Hardiman, with a goal of getting him up to speed. Hardiman came from out of state, and counted on Fisher to explain the many difficulties and complexities of UW–Madison and its relationship with the state.

“It would have been difficult for me to make the transition here without Tom’s understanding of the university and his ability to communicate with our staff of 53,” Hardiman says. “He was so incredibly supportive and he was a tremendous mentor. He will be missed, not only by me personally, but by the multitudes he has helped throughout his years here.”

Fisher plans to do some work on the family farm in Green Lake County and continue volunteering as a hunting-safety instructor. He’s also making plans with friends and family to do some hunting, fishing and traveling.

In what little free time he allots himself, he has one important project planned: “I am going to sit on the Green Lake prairie and listen to the wind blow.”