Pen designer Fisher dies
Boulder City resident invented Space Pen used by astronauts
By HUBBLE SMITH
Oct. 25, 2006
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Paul Fisher, inventor of the Fisher Space Pen used by NASA, died Friday at his home in Boulder City. He was 93.
With a pressurized cartridge and special ink, Fisher's Space Pen was capable of writing upside down in zero gravity, underwater and through oil and grease. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins used the pen on the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Fisher, who founded Fisher Space Pen Co. and moved into a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Boulder City in 1976, received numerous awards and recognition for his achievements, including Nevada Small Business Person of the Year in 1980, the U.S. Department of Commerce award for excellence in promoting exports in 1983, the Governor's Distinguished Nevada Business Award in 1989 and Nevada's Exporter of the Year in 1996.
The company generated about $8 million a year in sales and employed 80 people.
"I have a theory about life," Fisher told the Review-Journal in 1997, "and that is that it's better to be lucky than smart. They say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door."
Born Oct. 10, 1913, in Lebanon, Kan., Fisher designed his most widely used pen, the Bullet pen, in 1948. He later designed the One-For-All refill, which almost universally fit any ballpoint pen. He spent a decade and invested $1 million in a trial-and-error process to develop the Space Pen.
Fisher's Millennium pen, guaranteed to never run out of ink, was sold through exclusive distributors in 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Africa. Its retail price is $195. Another of his writing inventions is the Fisher Telescoping Pen, which measures about 4 inches and extends into a full-length pen.
Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro said he owns several Fisher pens that he's been using for 15 to 20 years.
"I knew Paul as a true gentleman, and he was very enthused about Boulder City," Ferraro said. "He wanted to see Boulder City prosper but remain small. He liked clean industry, and his fit that category very nicely."
Fisher's son Scott spearheaded an effort in 1998 to build the Fisher Air and Space Education Center at Boulder City Airport, but funding for the project -- estimated at $14 million to $20 million -- never materialized.
One of the first peace activists from the corporate world, Fisher ran in the 1960 New Hampshire presidential primary. He wrote a book, "The Plan," about how to fight poverty, including exempting lower-income people from paying taxes.
A memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Boulder City.
Son of Carey Albert Fisher and Alice (Bales) Fisher.
Contributor: Jerri Ritter (48531559)
Boulder City resident invented Space Pen used by astronauts
By HUBBLE SMITH
Oct. 25, 2006
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Paul Fisher, inventor of the Fisher Space Pen used by NASA, died Friday at his home in Boulder City. He was 93.
With a pressurized cartridge and special ink, Fisher's Space Pen was capable of writing upside down in zero gravity, underwater and through oil and grease. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins used the pen on the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Fisher, who founded Fisher Space Pen Co. and moved into a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Boulder City in 1976, received numerous awards and recognition for his achievements, including Nevada Small Business Person of the Year in 1980, the U.S. Department of Commerce award for excellence in promoting exports in 1983, the Governor's Distinguished Nevada Business Award in 1989 and Nevada's Exporter of the Year in 1996.
The company generated about $8 million a year in sales and employed 80 people.
"I have a theory about life," Fisher told the Review-Journal in 1997, "and that is that it's better to be lucky than smart. They say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door."
Born Oct. 10, 1913, in Lebanon, Kan., Fisher designed his most widely used pen, the Bullet pen, in 1948. He later designed the One-For-All refill, which almost universally fit any ballpoint pen. He spent a decade and invested $1 million in a trial-and-error process to develop the Space Pen.
Fisher's Millennium pen, guaranteed to never run out of ink, was sold through exclusive distributors in 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Africa. Its retail price is $195. Another of his writing inventions is the Fisher Telescoping Pen, which measures about 4 inches and extends into a full-length pen.
Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro said he owns several Fisher pens that he's been using for 15 to 20 years.
"I knew Paul as a true gentleman, and he was very enthused about Boulder City," Ferraro said. "He wanted to see Boulder City prosper but remain small. He liked clean industry, and his fit that category very nicely."
Fisher's son Scott spearheaded an effort in 1998 to build the Fisher Air and Space Education Center at Boulder City Airport, but funding for the project -- estimated at $14 million to $20 million -- never materialized.
One of the first peace activists from the corporate world, Fisher ran in the 1960 New Hampshire presidential primary. He wrote a book, "The Plan," about how to fight poverty, including exempting lower-income people from paying taxes.
A memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Boulder City.
Son of Carey Albert Fisher and Alice (Bales) Fisher.
Contributor: Jerri Ritter (48531559)
Pen designer Fisher dies
Boulder City resident invented Space Pen used by astronauts
By HUBBLE SMITH
Oct. 25, 2006
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Paul Fisher, inventor of the Fisher Space Pen used by NASA, died Friday at his home in Boulder City. He was 93.
With a pressurized cartridge and special ink, Fisher's Space Pen was capable of writing upside down in zero gravity, underwater and through oil and grease. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins used the pen on the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Fisher, who founded Fisher Space Pen Co. and moved into a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Boulder City in 1976, received numerous awards and recognition for his achievements, including Nevada Small Business Person of the Year in 1980, the U.S. Department of Commerce award for excellence in promoting exports in 1983, the Governor's Distinguished Nevada Business Award in 1989 and Nevada's Exporter of the Year in 1996.
The company generated about $8 million a year in sales and employed 80 people.
"I have a theory about life," Fisher told the Review-Journal in 1997, "and that is that it's better to be lucky than smart. They say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door."
Born Oct. 10, 1913, in Lebanon, Kan., Fisher designed his most widely used pen, the Bullet pen, in 1948. He later designed the One-For-All refill, which almost universally fit any ballpoint pen. He spent a decade and invested $1 million in a trial-and-error process to develop the Space Pen.
Fisher's Millennium pen, guaranteed to never run out of ink, was sold through exclusive distributors in 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Africa. Its retail price is $195. Another of his writing inventions is the Fisher Telescoping Pen, which measures about 4 inches and extends into a full-length pen.
Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro said he owns several Fisher pens that he's been using for 15 to 20 years.
"I knew Paul as a true gentleman, and he was very enthused about Boulder City," Ferraro said. "He wanted to see Boulder City prosper but remain small. He liked clean industry, and his fit that category very nicely."
Fisher's son Scott spearheaded an effort in 1998 to build the Fisher Air and Space Education Center at Boulder City Airport, but funding for the project -- estimated at $14 million to $20 million -- never materialized.
One of the first peace activists from the corporate world, Fisher ran in the 1960 New Hampshire presidential primary. He wrote a book, "The Plan," about how to fight poverty, including exempting lower-income people from paying taxes.
A memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Boulder City.
Son of Carey Albert Fisher and Alice (Bales) Fisher.
Contributor: Jerri Ritter (48531559)
Boulder City resident invented Space Pen used by astronauts
By HUBBLE SMITH
Oct. 25, 2006
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Paul Fisher, inventor of the Fisher Space Pen used by NASA, died Friday at his home in Boulder City. He was 93.
With a pressurized cartridge and special ink, Fisher's Space Pen was capable of writing upside down in zero gravity, underwater and through oil and grease. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins used the pen on the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Fisher, who founded Fisher Space Pen Co. and moved into a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Boulder City in 1976, received numerous awards and recognition for his achievements, including Nevada Small Business Person of the Year in 1980, the U.S. Department of Commerce award for excellence in promoting exports in 1983, the Governor's Distinguished Nevada Business Award in 1989 and Nevada's Exporter of the Year in 1996.
The company generated about $8 million a year in sales and employed 80 people.
"I have a theory about life," Fisher told the Review-Journal in 1997, "and that is that it's better to be lucky than smart. They say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door."
Born Oct. 10, 1913, in Lebanon, Kan., Fisher designed his most widely used pen, the Bullet pen, in 1948. He later designed the One-For-All refill, which almost universally fit any ballpoint pen. He spent a decade and invested $1 million in a trial-and-error process to develop the Space Pen.
Fisher's Millennium pen, guaranteed to never run out of ink, was sold through exclusive distributors in 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Africa. Its retail price is $195. Another of his writing inventions is the Fisher Telescoping Pen, which measures about 4 inches and extends into a full-length pen.
Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro said he owns several Fisher pens that he's been using for 15 to 20 years.
"I knew Paul as a true gentleman, and he was very enthused about Boulder City," Ferraro said. "He wanted to see Boulder City prosper but remain small. He liked clean industry, and his fit that category very nicely."
Fisher's son Scott spearheaded an effort in 1998 to build the Fisher Air and Space Education Center at Boulder City Airport, but funding for the project -- estimated at $14 million to $20 million -- never materialized.
One of the first peace activists from the corporate world, Fisher ran in the 1960 New Hampshire presidential primary. He wrote a book, "The Plan," about how to fight poverty, including exempting lower-income people from paying taxes.
A memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Boulder City.
Son of Carey Albert Fisher and Alice (Bales) Fisher.
Contributor: Jerri Ritter (48531559)
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