Hamilton C. Fish

Where Am I?

We live in retirement on the water of beautiful Skaneateles Lake in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York about 30 minutes from Syracuse. In the depth of winter we escape for two months to Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida, but only after a month of Syracuse basketball games in January.

Where Have I Been?

I traveled the world for four years as an engineer in the merchant marine visiting ports in Asia, Europe and South America. After two years of graduate school in Albany, NY, I went to Castine, Maine to teach for two years. Following that, three years as a nuclear power start up engineer took me to Vermont, Kansas, and Connecticut. After three years in Old Lyme, CT, I moved to Fair Haven, NY the shore of Lake Ontario near Oswego, 50 miles north of Syracuse, where I met my wife Fran. We lived in the Syracuse area for 16 more years of heavy snow. Promotion to corporate headquarters in Manhattan gave us 12 years in White Plains and access to the arts in the city. We retired to Skaneateles where we had made so many close friends in the Syracuse area.

What Have I done?

After a year at RPI (Melvin Klein was in the same class of ‘61 at RPI) my congressional appointment to Kings Pont arrived. Following graduation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where some of you may remember I lived on the academy grounds as a child, I sailed all over the world four years at sea in the merchant marine. The highlight was selection and licensing to be an engineer on the world’s first civilian nuclear powered ship, the N.S. Savannah. Following a graduate degree from SUNY Albany, I taught physics at Maine Maritime Academy. As the nuclear power industry burgeoned toward 100 plants in the 1970’s, my previous experience on the Savannah set the stage for a 35 year career in operation of commercial nuclear power electric generating plants in Vermont, Connecticut, and New York. Highlights of those years included an extended consulting assignment in Taiwan and presenting papers at international conferences in Europe and the US.

The decade of the 1990’s was the most intellectually interesting and exciting where I directed the nuclear research and development program for the New York Power Authority and served as national chair and frequent representative to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear industry wide groups. Following retirement in 2000, I formed nuclear project management consulting company “EMCI” and continued as chair of the IEEE national standards writing group for Human Factors until last year.

Outside of work I have in the past been elected to a school board, village board of trustees, United Way executive board, and governing boards of the churches of which I have been a member. My largest commitment was to the Boy Scout program serving for many years in volunteer management positions, including chairman of a large countywide district of the Boy Scout program.

What Am I Doing?

I fully retired as of two years ago, keep fit at the local community center and enjoy sailing on Skaneateles Lake. During February and March in Naples, I enjoy the beach, and theater and concerts. I continue as an active volunteer with the Boy Scout programs and community and charitable executive boards. Late in life I am returning to music with participation in local choral groups.

What About My Family?

I married Frances Rotunno from Millbrook, NY, (home of the political branch of the Hamilton Fish family) 26 years ago. We have one son, Jim who, while still in his 20’s, earned a position as managing partner/trader of a hedge fund where he specializes in futures for natural gas and oil. He lives most of the time in South Beach, but also has a home on the west coast in Whistler, British Columbia (location of next Winter Olympics) and an apartment in Manhattan. Like me, he seems to be headed for a late marriage, so no grandchildren yet.

What Else Keeps Me Occupied?

Singing in choral groups and choir, hiking and climbing in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks, sailing a 17’ boat on the lake, and continued (40+ years) active volunteer work with Boy Scout programs.

My Message to the Class of '57:

Keep as fit and active as your health permits. Re-explore your artistic talents if you put them on hold during your career years. Travel and enjoy these truly golden years.

We know we benefited from one of the best high school experiences in the country. Our incredibly dedicated teachers prepared us well, but most importantly challenged our minds to explore the intellectual world. The programs in the music and art and field trips continue to enrich us through out our lives. I still remember the field trip to the original Metropolitan Opera house in Manhattan that ignited my life long interest in performing arts. As we reflect on this, remember that our parents demanded and voluntarily taxed themselves heavily to provide the best education possible for our high school. Although our children are grown, we must work to lead the communities where we live today to provide similar opportunities to tomorrow’s children.

All classmates are welcome to visit spring, summer, or fall if you are touring the Finger Lakes region, perhaps on a wine tour. I can offer a boat tour of Skaneateles Lake (19 miles long) and a private room and bath if you want to spend the night.