He was the principal of Palmer College Academy in 1907–1909 and acting president in 1909–10, after which he went back to school and earned a Ph.D. degree in botany from Johns Hopkins University.

In 1913 Fisher became the curator of visual instruction work with schools and colleges for the American Museum of Natural History.

He held these titles until he became the Honorary Curator of Astronomy at the museum and planetarium.

While working for the museum and planetarium, Fisher also made several expeditions to observe astronomical events.

Previously, he was a member of a Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology eclipse expedition to Siberia, in 1936.