Remembering Endocrine Society Past-President, Delbert A. Fisher, MD

Delbert A. Fisher, past-president of the Endocrine Society and former editor of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, passed away March 4, 2026, at the age of 97. Fisher was a pediatric endocrinologist best known for his work in delineating fetal and newborn thyroid physiology, which led to the launch of newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism in North America.  

Fisher received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he met his wife, Beverly. They moved across the bay where he earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and stayed on to complete internship and residency in pediatrics. It was here that he began studying hypothyroidism in a primate model with pediatric endocrinologist Donald Pickering.

After serving in the United States Air Force for two years during which time son David was born, Fisher commenced fellowship training in pediatric endocrinology at Oregon Health Sciences University and resumed his research with Donald Pickering. Twins Tom and Mary were born during this time in Oregon. Fisher moved to the University of Arkansas for his first faculty position as director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism from 1960 to1968. During this time, he published multiple studies with radiation physicist Thomas Oddie on iodine uptake in thyroid hormone metabolism. His group trained Arkansas’s first pediatric endocrinologist, Joycelyn Elders, who would later become U.S. Surgeon General under President Bill Clinton.

Fisher’s scientific vision, leadership, and mentorship profoundly shaped the field of endocrinology, and have enduring impact on the lives and careers of the many colleagues and trainees who worked with him.

In 1968, Fisher was recruited to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and its Research and Education Institute by UCLA’s Chair of Pediatrics Joseph St. Geme, Jr., and Division Chief of Endocrinology (Internal Medicine) William Odell. As the institution’s first pediatric endocrinologist, he collaborated on development of radioimmunoassay for thyroid hormone testing, delineated fetal thyroid physiology in a sheep animal model, and characterized human perinatal thyroid function.  The research culminated in thyroid hormone testing for broad dissemination in screening newborns for congenital hypothyroidism across North America. Initially serving as Division Head, he later became chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 1985 to 1989. During this time at Harbor-UCLA, he left a lasting impression on the field and numerous trainees including medical students, residents, fellows, and visiting scholars.

Fisher advanced the dissemination of scientific research through numerous editorial positions. He was the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism from 1978 to 1983, with Beverly serving as a managing editor. Afterwards, he was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pediatrics from 1984 to 1989.

In 1991, Fisher moved on from Harbor-UCLA to join the Nichols Institute reference laboratories as president, where he remained until his retirement in 2007.

Fisher holds the unique distinction as having served as president of numerous endocrinology societies: the Pediatric Endocrine Society (1982 – 1983), the Endocrine Society (1983 – 1984), and the American Thyroid Association (1988 – 1989). He served as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism from 1978 to 1983. Additional presidencies in pediatrics include the Western Society for Pediatric Research (1982 – 1983), and the American Pediatric Society (1992 – 1993). Together, Fisher and his wife, Beverly, demonstrated a lasting commitment to preserving scientific legacy by establishing scholar awards with the Endocrine Society and the Pediatric Endocrine Society to support work chronicling the history of endocrinology.

Fisher’s scientific vision, leadership, and mentorship profoundly shaped the field of endocrinology, and have enduring impact on the lives and careers of the many colleagues and trainees who worked with him.

Each year, the Endocrine Society honors Fisher with the Delbert A. Fisher Research Scholar Award, which provides a $2,000 honorarium to a scholar demonstrating exceptional work in the preservation of the history of endocrinology. The scholar also delivers the Clark T. Sawin Memorial History of Endocrinology Lecture at ENDO. This award is made possible by the generous support of Dr. and Mrs. Delbert A. Fisher, MD.

Yee is an investigator at The Lundquist Institute; chief, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; HS Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif.; Swerdloff is the Distinguished Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Division of Endocrinology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; Senior Investigator, The Lundquist Research Institute, Torrance, Calif.

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