The Carl H. Fischer collection dates from 1936 until 1985, but primarily documents the period from 1950 until 1970. The papers mainly reflect the Dr. Fischer's professional activities within the University of Michigan School of Business, as a consultant to various organizations both American and foreign, on pension and social security matters, and as a participant in professional organizations and societies. There are thus few personal materials in the papers.
The collection is arranged into four series: University of Michigan, Consulting, Professional Organizations, and Conference Papers/Other writings. Additional information on Dr. Fischer may also be found in the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs record group of which he was director in the year 1952, and in the records of the University of Michigan School of Business Administration. Published work may be found in the University of Michigan on-line catalog.
Carl H. Fischer was a professor actuary mathematics and of insurance at the University of Michigan from 1941 until 1974. He received a B.S. from the Washington University in St. Louis in 1923, then a M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1930 and 1932 respectively, in mathematical statistics in actuarial science. Dr. Fischer began practicing actuarial science in 1938, and became a member of the University of Michigan faculty in 1941, teaching in the departments of Mathematics and Business Administration. Before coming to the University of Michigan, Dr. Fischer had a one-year appointment at the University of Minnesota, a year with Northwestern National Life Insurance Company of Minneapolis doing actuarial research, and seven years at Wayne State University in Detroit. Starting in 1950 he was head of the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science within the School of Business Administration at the University of Michigan. In 1974, Dr. Fischer became professor emeritus of actuary mathematics in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts and also of insurance in the Graduate School of Business Administration.
Throughout his career, Fischer was an active participant and officer in the professional organizations of his field. He served as a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, the Conference of Actuaries in Public Practice, and the Fraternal Actuarial Association, as well as being a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He also was a member of the American Statistical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Michigan Actuarial Society, and an associate of the Institute of Actuaries in Great Britain. In the course of his career, Dr. Fischer published three books and approximately 45 articles in the fields of actuarial science, pensions, and mathematics. He was a member of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Honorary, as well as Beta Gamma Sigma, the Business Administration Honorary.
Dr. Fischer lectured extensively throughout his career. He was the director and teacher at a summer actuarial program held for college students by the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company of Boston on two different occasions. He taught at the Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut for one summer. He also was an instructor at the Hebrew University of Israel in 1965 and 1967.
Fischer served as a consultant to the United States Treasury, the General Accounting Office, and was a member of the Advisory Council for Social Security Financing. He was chairman of the committee to study the military retirement pay system for the Armed Services Committee of the United States. He also served as a consultant to Liberia to help coordinate their National Social Security and Welfare Corporation. His consulting work outside of the United States also included the Philippines where he helped to coordinate the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System.
Within Michigan, Dr. Fischer was the actuary for the retirement committee of the State Senate of Michigan, and also for the joint committee on Retirement for the Senate and the House. From 1948 until 1973, he was a member of the board of trustees of the city of Ann Arbor Employees Retirement System. He did consulting work for the Detroit Teachers Retirement System. Dr. Fischer died at the age of 85 in Ann Arbor, on December 21, 1988.
