# Vic Fischer

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American politician (1924–2023)

Vic Fischer Fischer in 2019 Member of the Alaska Senate In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1987 Preceded by Bill Sumner Succeeded by Rick Uehling Member of the Alaska Territorial Legislature from the 3rd district In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959 Serving with Seaborn Buckalew, Ken Johnson, Irene Ryan, Russell Young, Dorothy Awes, Helen Fischer, Earl Hillstrand, Irwin Metcalf, James Norene Succeeded by Legislature abolished Delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention from the 18th district In office November 8, 1955 – February 5, 1956 Serving with Dorothy Awes, Seaborn Buckalew, William Egan, Helen Fischer, John Hellenthal, Victor Rivers, Edward Davis, Marvin Marston, George McLaughlin, Chris Poulsen, Barrie White Planning Director of Anchorage In office 1950–1955 Personal details Born (1924-05-02)May 2, 1924 Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany Died October 22, 2023(2023-10-22) (aged 99) Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. Party Democratic Spouse Jane Angvik (m. 1981) Alma mater University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MCP) Harvard Kennedy School (MPA)

**Victor Fischer** (May 2, 1924 – October 22, 2023) was a German-born American politician from the state of [Alaska](/source/Alaska). A member of the [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)), he served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention that drafted [Alaska's constitution](/source/Constitution_of_Alaska) in 1955 and 1956. After the death of its Secretary [Katie Hurley](/source/Katie_Hurley) in 2021, Fischer was the last surviving participant in the constitutional convention. Fischer later served in the [Alaska Senate](/source/Alaska_Senate), as president of the [University of Alaska](/source/University_of_Alaska) Institute of Social and Economic Research, and as assistant secretary of the [Housing and Home Finance Agency](/source/Housing_and_Home_Finance_Agency).

## Political career

Fischer served as [Anchorage](/source/Anchorage)'s Planning Director from 1950 to 1955. Fischer was a vocal supporter of Alaskan statehood, serving as vice president of the pro-statehood group Operation Statehood. He was elected as a delegate to the Alaskan Constitutional Convention in 1955 and was the chair of the convention's Local Government Committee, which established the [borough system](/source/List_of_boroughs_and_census_areas_in_Alaska). He was also elected to the final session of the Alaskan territorial legislature in 1956 and unsuccessfully sought a seat in the [Alaska Senate](/source/Alaska_Senate) in 1960.[1][2]

Two years later, Fischer was appointed director of the Office of Metropolitan Development in the [Housing and Home Finance Agency](/source/Housing_and_Home_Finance_Agency), serving in that role until 1966, when he became director of the [University of Alaska](/source/University_of_Alaska) Institute of Social and Economic Research. During his 10 years as director, Fischer secured funding for the [Alaska Federation of Natives](/source/Alaska_Federation_of_Natives) and helped write the [environmental impact statement](/source/Environmental_impact_statement) for the [Trans-Alaska Pipeline](/source/Trans-Alaska_Pipeline).[1][2]

Fischer returned to elected office in 1980 when he ran for and won a seat in the Alaska Senate, unseating incumbent Republican [Bill Sumner](/source/Bill_Sumner). Fischer was re-elected in 1982 and 1984, but lost his seat to Republican Rick Uehling in 1986, after which he never ran for office again. A lifelong liberal activist, Fischer continued campaigning for Democratic candidates and causes until the end of his life; he was the co-chair of an unsuccessful attempt to recall Alaska governor [Mike Dunleavy](/source/Mike_Dunleavy_(politician)) in 2019.[1][2]

## Personal life

As a child, Fischer and his brother were shuffled between [Germany](/source/Germany) and [Russia](/source/Russia), as his parents faced persecution under the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union); the family fled to the United States in 1939. In 2000, Fischer was granted Russian citizenship by Russian president [Boris Yeltsin](/source/Boris_Yeltsin); he was encouraged to run for governor of [Chukotka](/source/Chukotka_Autonomous_Okrug), the region of Russia directly across from Alaska across the [Bering Strait](/source/Bering_Strait), but declined to do so. Fischer was married to fellow politician [Jane Angvik](/source/Jane_Angvik) from 1981 until his death. They had one daughter, Ruth.

Fischer entered hospice care in 2023 due to poor health and died on October 22 of that year, aged 99.[1][2]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-oc_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-oc_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-oc_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-oc_1-3) ["Fischer, Victor"](https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=135047). *Our Campaigns*. Retrieved October 23, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-obit_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-obit_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-obit_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-obit_2-3) Wohlforth, Charles (October 22, 2023). ["Vic Fischer, last surviving Alaska Constitutional Convention delegate, dies at 99"](https://www.adn.com/politics/2023/10/22/vic-fischer-last-surviving-alaska-constitutional-convention-delegate-dies-at-99/). *[Anchorage Daily News](/source/Anchorage_Daily_News)*. Retrieved October 23, 2023.

v t e Signers of the Constitution of Alaska Armstrong Barr Boswell Buckalew Coghill Collins Cooper Cross Davis Doogan Egan Emberg H. Fischer V. Fischer Gray Haaland Harris Hellenthal Hermann Hilscher Hinckel Hurley Johnson Kilcher King Knight Laws Lee Londborg Marston McCutcheon McLaughlin McNealy McNees Metcalf Nerland Nordale Peratrovich Poulson Reader Riley R. Rivers V. Rivers Robertson Rosswog Smith Stewart Sundborg Sweeney Taylor VanderLeest Walsh White Wien See also: Alaska Statehood Act

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