Doris Fisher, a visionary philanthropist and longtime champion of UC San Francisco who passed away earlier this week, devoted more than four decades to advancing the university’s mission. She served as a Lifetime Director on the UCSF Foundation Board and played a key role in building the UCSF Foundation. With years of personal commitment to education, the arts, and health care, she leaves an indelible mark on this city and on our university.
A longtime resident of the Bay Area, Fisher graduated from Stanford University in 1953 as one of the first women to earn a degree in economics. She went on to cofound The Gap with her late husband, Donald Fisher, in 1969, a move that revolutionized the retail industry.
Virtually every aspect of our hospitals and university has been touched by her generosity, and we will miss her devoted partnership in everything we do at UCSF.
UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS
Multidisciplinary service and support
UCSF is honored to be included among the many worthy institutions the family has supported over the years. Doris Fisher’s generous contributions to UCSF included funding for cancer research, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, and the campaign for the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. Don was a major influence in the creation of UCSF’s Mission Bay campus, helping to shape it into the national model of bioscience excellence that it is today. Doris and Don were particularly prolific donors to the UCSF Mission Bay campus, where the Fisher Atrium and Fisher Banquet Room, as well as the Doris and Don Fisher Garden, serve as testaments to their belief in building community and their commitment to patient care.
Doris’s passion for and commitment to UCSF — through advocacy, outreach, leadership, and volunteerism — meant that she was part of many important milestones. She was a vital force behind UCSF’s expansion to Mission Bay, the launch and success of UCSF: The Campaign, and was a devoted volunteer during the tenure of six successive chancellors. Her legacy of service, particularly her role as chair of the nominating committee, helped shape the Board during a pivotal time.
“Doris brought her family members and friends into the UCSF fold and introduced them to our important work,” noted UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS. “These efforts, coupled with her generous philanthropic contributions, made scientific progress, advancements in patient care, and revolutions in medical education possible. Virtually every aspect of our hospitals and university has been touched by her generosity, and we will miss her devoted partnership in everything we do at UCSF.”
Over the years, Doris developed many close relationships with faculty members and was motivated to support junior and mid-career faculty. She and Don established two distinguished professorships — the Doris and Donald Fisher Distinguished Professorship in Clinical Cancer Research, currently held by Eric Small, MD, and the Doris F. and Donald G. Fisher Distinguished Professorship in Pulmonary Therapies and Science, currently held by Jasleen Kukreja, PhD — each of which has provided crucial support for the recipients to pursue groundbreaking research. Doris was also a lead donor in efforts to honor William Grossman, MD, through the creation of the William Grossman, MD Professorship in 2017, and a longtime donor to the UCSF Cardiology Council.
“Doris truly supported every facet of our work — through capital investments, faculty support, research funding, and long-term sustainability efforts — and we are truly grateful,” Grossman stated.
The Fishers also established the Fisher Fund in Lung Transplantation in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine, under the direction of Jeffrey Golden, MD, which supports fellows in the division and innovative research critical to improving clinical care in lung health. With their support, UCSF has cemented its role as a leader in interstitial lung disease clinical care and remains one of the few institutions to offer further training in advanced pulmonary medicine.
Their contributions to cancer research and care have helped sustain UCSF’s long record of excellence and distinguished status as a Comprehensive Cancer Center of the National Cancer Institute and greatly amplified the impact of our work for patients and their families. “For years, Doris and her family gave generously to our areas of greatest opportunity — accelerating new prevention and treatment strategies for countless individuals and their families affected by cancer,” states Alan Ashworth, PhD, FRS, president of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
For their tireless leadership and advocacy, Doris and Don Fisher were awarded the UCSF Medal in 1998.
Longtime dedication to education and the arts
Fisher was also a noted patron of the arts. She and her husband spent their lives collecting art and loaned 1,100 works to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which is now the largest modern art museum in the U.S. She also cofounded the KIPP Foundation, which supports public charter schools. In 2011, she and her late husband were inducted into the California Hall of Fame, a ceremony that recognizes legendary Californians who have influenced the state, the nation, and the world.
Information about memorial services and opportunities for tribute gifts will be shared as it becomes available.
