Awards and honors

1926, Silver Buffalo Award Silver Buffalo Award The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting program...

1946, Leader in Volleyball Award United States Volleyball Association USA Volleyball USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which serves as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States of America ....

1951, Morgan Plaque, Springfield College Springfield College Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented... United States Volleyball Association

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...  honorary brother

1991, Inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame Volleyball Hall of Fame The Volleyball Hall of Fame was founded to honor extraordinary players, coaches, officials, and leaders who have made significant contributions to the game of volleyball. The hall is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G...

George J. Fisher M.D.

Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...

 (died 1960) was a physician and leader in the fields of youth development and physical fitness

Physical fitness

Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...

 in the United States during the early twentieth century. He was a noted advocate for advancing the sport of volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

.

Volleyball and the YMCA

Dr. Fisher was president of the international YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

's Physical Directors Society from 1904 to 1919. Dr. Fisher is today best remembered for making volleyball a part of the program in military training camps, both in the United States and abroad while serving as Secretary of the YMCA War Work Office.

With the beginning of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, volleyball spread worldwide. Dr. Fisher included volleyball in the recreation and education program for American armed forces as early as 1914 and American soldiers fighting in World War I played volleyball on the beaches of Normandy and Brittany. In 1919 Dr. Fisher made volleyball a part of the program in military training camps, both in the United States and abroad. He was the editor of the Volleyball Rules Guide for the Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 and Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

.

Boy Scouts of America

Fisher served as deputy Chief Scout Executive

Chief Scout Executive

The Chief Scout Executive is the top professional of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In most similar non-profit organizations, this is equivalent to the position of executive director....

 of the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

 from 1919 to 1943, and as National Scout Commissioner

Commissioner Service

Commissioner Service is the group within the Boy Scouts of America that provides direct service to each Scouting unit . Commissioners are experienced Scouters who help chartered organizations and unit leaders to achieve the aims of Scouting by using the methods of Scouting...

 from 1943 until his death in 1960.

United States Volleyball Association

Dr. Fisher was the founder and first president (1928–1952) of the United States Volleyball Association

USA Volleyball

USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which serves as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States of America ....

. He also served as the first editor of the Volleyball Guide from 1917 to 1947. The Leader in Volleyball Award was renamed to the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award in his honor.