Frederick Perry Fish

Background

Fish, Frederick Perry was born on January 13, 1855 in Taunton, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Frederick L. and Mary Jarvis (Perry) Fish.

Education

Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, Fish attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Career

He was admitted to the bar in 1878. He worked at the law firm of Thomas L. Livermore and Senator Bainbridge Wadleigh in Boston. During his lifetime, the law firm was successively named Wadleigh & Fish (1878).

Livermore & Fish(1885).

Livermore, Fish & Richardson(1889). Fish, Richardson & Storrow(1890).

Fish, Richardson, Herrick & Storrow(1899). Fish, Richardson, Herrick & Storrow(1899), Fish Richardson, Herrick & Neave(1900).

Richardson, Herrick & Neave (1901).

Fish, Richardson, Herrick & Neave (1907). And Fish, Richardson & Neave (1916). In 1969, after Fish’s death, the firm adopted its current name, Fish & Richardson.

Fish"s specialty was patent law.

He was involved in key patent litigation during development of the telephone, the air brake, the steam turbine, the automobile, the airplane and the radio, as well as other electric appliances. In 1901, Fish took leave from the law practice to serve as the president of American Telephone & Telegraph Company. During his tenure at American Telephone & Telegraph Company, Fish oversaw completion of a unified network of telephone lines nationwide.

In January 1901, as American Telephone & Telegraph Company Patent Attorney, Fish advised that the Pacific Theater of Operations would likely grant Pupin prior inventorship, which ultimately came to pass. He turned down the presidency of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and returned to law in 1907.

That year, Fish first credited Thomas Edison with suggesting "hello" as a more efficient telephone greeting than "Are you there?" or "Are you ready to talk?" Alexander Graham Bell had proposed "ahoy".

In 1906, Fish helped the Wright Brothers secure their patent on wing warping. In 1913, Fish helped the Wright Brothers prevail over Glenn Curtiss in an infringement case involving the 1906 “Flying Machine” patent. Wilbur Wright’s last known letter before his death was to Frederick Fish.

He served as Vice-President of the Bar Association of the City of Boston from 1909 to 1920, and President of the Massachusetts State Bar Association for the year 1919–1920.

He served on the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Governing Board of Radcliffe College. He was also an Overseer of Harvard College, a trustee of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, and Chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Education.

Fish died at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. Each of the thousands who came in contact with him during his extraordinarily active life is better for having known him.

He radiated kindliness, sympathy and courage.”.

Achievements

• Frederick Perry Fish has been listed as a reputable lawyer by Marquis Who's Who.

Membership

Member Fish, Richardson & Neave. Director North.E. Trust Company. Member corporation Massachusetts Institute Technology.

Fellow American Academy Arts and Sciences.

Connections

Married Clara P. Livermore, April. Children: Margaret, Erland F. Practiced law, New York and Boston, until July 1, 1901.

Father:

Frederick L. Fish

Mother:

Mary Jarvis (Perry) Fish

Spouse:

Clara P. Livermore

child:

Margaret Fish

child:

New York and Boston Fish

child:

1901 Fish

child:

until July 1 Fish

child:

Erland F. Practiced law Fish