Joseph L. Fisher

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Joseph Lyman (Joe) Fisher (January 11, 1914–February 19, 1992) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He was a Democrat from Virginia.

Fisher was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, graduating in 1935 with an economic degree. After several years working at an accouting firm, Fisher was hired by the National Resource Planning Board in 1939. He was promoted to become an economist for the U.S. Department of State in 1942. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 to serve in World War II.

Fisher returned from to the United States once war ended and earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He was then hired by the Council of Economic Advisors and, after furthering his education at George Washington University, became the senior economist at this organization in 1951. In 1953, Fisher left to found a non-profit think tank known as Resources for the Future, Inc.

In 1974, Fisher was elected to Congress from Virginia's 10th congressional district. He served for three terms until his defeat at the hands of Republican Frank Wolf in November 1980. Afterward, Fisher was appointed Virginia Secretary of Human Resources in 1982 and then became an economics professor at George Mason University in 1986. He died in Arlington, Virginia in 1992.