Chalmers Archer facts for kids

Chalmers Archer (born April 21, 1928 – died February 24, 2014) was an important African-American author and professor. He wrote a book called Growing Up Black in Rural Mississippi. This book was about his childhood experiences in the southern United States during a time when Black and white people were kept separate by law.

His time as a medic in the Special Forces (United States Army) also inspired another book, Green Berets in the Vanguard. In 1994, he received the Afro-Achievement Award. This award recognized his amazing work and achievements in education throughout his life.

Early Life in Mississippi

Chalmers Archer was born in Tchula, Mississippi. He was one of six children. His mother, Eva Rutherford Archer, was a teacher and a librarian. His father, Chalmers Archer, Sr., had served in World War I and was a farmer.

When Chalmers was a child, his father and uncles rented a large area of land. They called it "The Place." On this land, they farmed, raised animals, and built smokehouses. He remembered how strong and supportive the Black community was. Everyone helped each other, especially the young people.

When he was 12, his family moved to Lexington, Mississippi. He went to Ambrose Vocational High School. This was a segregated school, meaning only Black students could attend. Archer noted that this school was not meant to be a strong academic school. At that time, many believed Black students were only capable of learning job skills, not advanced subjects. The school building was not improved until the 1950s. This was after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that "separate but equal" schools were not fair.

Chalmers had to walk a mile farther to Ambrose Vocational High School. He was not allowed to go to Lexington High School, which was closer. When school buses started running in Holmes County, Mississippi, they were only for white students. Chalmers was not allowed to ride the bus, even though his white neighbors could.

After high school, Archer attended Tuskegee University for a year. Then, he volunteered to join the United States Army Air Forces.

Military Service and Education

Chalmers Archer served in the United States Army Air Forces for one year. After that, he transferred to the United States Army. He worked as a Master Sergeant Technician on a medical team during the Korean War.

Later, Archer began training at the Psychological Warfare Center at Fort Bragg. This center focused on special operations. In 1956, he was sent on secret missions to Thailand. In 1957, he went to Taiwan for similar work. He was part of the new 1st Special Forces Group (United States). In 1957, he went to Vietnam. His team was among the first Americans to experience casualties in the Vietnam War. This happened near Nha Trang on October 21, 1957. One soldier, Capt. Harry Griffith Cramer, Jr., died, and others were injured. These experiences were later written about in his 2001 book, Green Berets in the Vanguard: Inside Special Forces, 1953–1963.

In 1967, Archer left the army to finish his education. He graduated from Tuskegee University in 1972. He then earned his master's degree in education from Tuskegee in 1974. In 1979, he received his doctorate in counseling and psychology from Auburn University in Alabama. He also completed a year of advanced study at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

After finishing his studies, Chalmers Archer became a professor and a college administrator. In 1983, he became a professor of counseling and psychology at Northern Virginia Community College. He also served as an assistant to the president at Saints Junior College in Lexington, Mississippi. Later, he was an assistant to the vice president at the Tuskegee Institute.