Philip M. Fisher – Principal 1896-1922

Groundbreaking school principal, navigating the 20 year process of making Oakland Central High School transform into Polytechnic High, and ultimately opening Oakland Technical in 1915 at its current location.  Fisher served the school for 28 years, was ahead of his time in espousing the value and dignity of both vocational and academic education, and in forging strong school-community bonds.

We are always in these days endeavoring to separate intellect and manual labor; we want one man to be thinking and another to always be working, and we call one a gentleman and the other an operator; whereas the workman ought to be thinking and the thinker to be working, and both should be called a gentleman in the best sense.