Samuel S. Fisher
Samuel Sparks Fisher | |
|---|---|
| United States Commissioner of Patents | |
| In office May 1, 1869 – 1870 | |
| President | Ulysses S. Grant |
| Preceded by | Elisha Foote |
| Succeeded by | Mortimer D. Leggett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 11, 1832 Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 1874 (aged 42) near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Samuel Sparks Fisher (April 11, 1832 – August 14, 1874) was an American patent lawyer, legal reporter, military officer, and government official who served as the United States Commissioner of Patents from 1869 to 1870.[1][2] His administration was later described in the Journal of the Patent Office Society as a turning point in the history of the Patent Office.[3][2]
Early life and legal career
Fisher was born in southern Michigan on April 11, 1832. He spent much of his early life in New York and Philadelphia.[2] He completed his education in Philadelphia, taught high school, and studied law in the office of Francis Wharton. In 1854, he moved to Cincinnati, where he continued his legal studies with Taft, Keys & Perry.[2]
Fisher specialized in patent law. He later prepared a series of reports of decisions involving patent rights, published as Fisher's Patent Cases.[2]
Civil War service
During the American Civil War, Fisher volunteered for service when Ohio was threatened in 1864. He was appointed colonel of an Ohio National Guard regiment and was later placed in command of a brigade.[2]
Commissioner of Patents
Fisher became Commissioner of Patents in 1869.[4] Patent historian Levin H. Campbell wrote that Fisher was the first commissioner to publish his decisions, introduced photolithographic copying of specifications and drawings, and instituted competitive examinations for entrance and promotion in the Patent Office examining force.[4]
The USPTO's biographical account, republished from the Journal of the Patent Office Society, credits Fisher with obtaining remedial legislation and instituting reforms that improved the office after the Civil War.[2][3]
Death
Fisher died on August 14, 1874, after a boating accident on the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His 10-year-old son also died in the accident.[2] The Patent Office was ordered closed on the day of his funeral.[2]
Further reading
- In Memoriam, Samuel S. Fisher. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co. 1874. Retrieved May 2, 2026. Search this book on
References
- ↑ "Past leaders of the USPTO". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Samuel Sparks Fisher". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Biographical Sketches of the Commissioners of Patents". Journal of the Patent Office Society. 18: 145–234. 1936.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Campbell, Levin H. "The Patent System of the United States So Far as It Relates to the Granting of Patents: A History". IP Mall. University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
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