Born in Central Falls, Rhode Island to Fredrick E and Louisiana N. Fish on October 17th, 1876. He claimed later in life that he wanted to be a professor since he was four years old. He graduated from Brown in 1887, and completed his Masters and Doctoral degree at Harvard University, finishing in 1898 and 1900, respectively. He was appointed Professor of History later that year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served in a factory during World War I, then visited England in the fall of 1917 to direct the [American University Club]. There he met Rudyard Kipling, John Masefield, John Singer Sargent, Lady Astor, and James Bryce, all of whom he considered friends. After he returned, he married Miss Jeanne l'Hommedieu of Madison, WI in 1919. He was again a Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison again upon his return until his death of pneumonia after finishing teaching his summer semester classes in 1932.