Dennis Archer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dennis Archer
67th Mayor of Detroit
In office January 3, 1994 – January 1, 2002
Preceded by	Coleman Young
Succeeded by	Kwame Kilpatrick
Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
In office January 1, 1986 – December 27, 1990
Appointed by	James Blanchard
Preceded by	James L. Ryan
Succeeded by	Conrad L. Mallett Jr.
Personal details
Born	Dennis Wayne Archer (1942-01-01) January 1, 1942 (age 83) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Trudy DunCombe ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	2
Education	Wayne State University Detroit Institute of Technology Western Michigan University (BS) Detroit College of Law (JD)

Dennis Wayne Archer (born January 1, 1942) is an American lawyer and former politician from Michigan. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Archer served as a judge on the Michigan Supreme Court. He also became the mayor of Detroit. Later, he made history as the first black president of the American Bar Association. This organization had not allowed African-American lawyers to join until 1943.

Early Life and Education

Dennis Archer was born on January 1, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan. His family faced financial challenges. When he was five, his family moved to Cassopolis, a rural area.

Archer started working at just eight years old to help his family. He worked many jobs, like being a golf-caddy and a janitor. To pay for college, he painted houses and worked at a drug store. He was also the first African-American to work in the medical records department at Henry Ford Hospital.

He started college at Wayne State University. He first wanted to be a pharmacist. Later, he studied at the Detroit Institute of Technology. He then went to Western Michigan University. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education.

Archer initially planned to be a history teacher. But he changed to special education. From 1965 to 1970, he taught children with disabilities in Detroit schools. In 1970, he earned his law degree from the Detroit College of Law. This school is now part of Michigan State University.

Besides practicing law, Archer also taught. He was a professor at the Detroit College of Law from 1972 to 1978. He also taught at Wayne State University Law School. He was involved in several bar associations. He led the Wolverine Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the State Bar of Michigan.

Serving on the Michigan Supreme Court

After 15 successful years as a lawyer, Archer was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court. Governor James Blanchard chose him for this important role. He was only the second black man to serve on that court in Michigan's history. His appointment ended a nearly 20-year period without an African American judge on the court.

Archer served as a justice from 1986 to 1990. In his last year, he was named "most respected judge in Michigan." This honor came from Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Becoming Detroit's Mayor

Archer decided to run for mayor of Detroit in 1993. He ran against Mayor Coleman Young, who was very popular. Mayor Young had been in office for a long time. When Mayor Young became ill and left the race, he supported Sharon McPhail.

Archer's campaign focused on bringing people together. He wanted to improve relationships between Detroit and its surrounding areas. He also spoke about improving life for all people in the city. He said he represented "the children who are more concerned about surviving the school day." He also spoke for "the homeless, the disenfranchised and the working poor." He wanted to improve housing and living conditions for everyone. He stressed that he wanted to help all city and suburban residents. This included black, white, Arabic, Jewish, and Hispanic people. David Axelrod, a well-known political advisor, helped with his campaign.

In November 1993, Archer won the election. He received 57 percent of the votes. Exit polls showed he won many white votes. He also won a good portion of the black vote.

Mayor of Detroit: His Time in Office

Dennis Archer served as mayor of Detroit from 1993 to 2001. During his time, he worked to improve the city's relationships. He connected with businesses in the suburbs. They worked together on plans to redevelop Detroit.

One of his big achievements was bringing the tech company Compuware to the city. Under his leadership, Detroit's financial health improved. The city's bond rating was upgraded several times. When he became mayor, many city processes were still done with paper cards. Archer brought computers to most city departments. His team also started a program to help people get job skills.

In his first term, Detroit received special federal benefits. These brought over $100 million to the city. Unemployment also went down during his time as mayor.

Archer strongly supported new construction projects downtown. These included two new sports stadiums. One was Ford Field for the Detroit Lions. The other was Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers. In his last year as mayor, Archer also became president of the National League of Cities.

Even with lower crime and unemployment, Archer faced some criticism. Some felt he did not always support or listen to leaders in the African-American community. He also faced disagreements when opening three casinos in the city.

Archer was re-elected easily in 1997. However, some opponents tried to recall him from office in his second term. He decided not to run for re-election in 2001.

After Being Mayor

After leaving office in January 2002, Archer took on new roles. He became chairman of the law firm Dickinson Wright. He also joined the board of directors for Compuware.

In 2004, he was appointed to the board of trustees for Western Michigan University. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm made this appointment. He also became the legal guardian for Rosa Parks in October 2004.

In 2008, Archer thought about running for governor of Michigan. This was for the 2010 election. But he later decided not to enter the race.

Archer is a co-chair for the National Transportation Policy Project. This project is at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He is also a member of the Global Senior Advisory Board for Jefferies, an investment bank.

He is an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee. He serves on its executive committee. In 2016, he was a superdelegate for the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He supported Hillary Clinton for president.

On December 1, 2017, Archer released his memoir. It is called "Let the Future Begin." He wrote it with Elizabeth Ann Atkins.

Personal Life

Dennis Archer is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. He is also part of Geometry Lodge #49, F&AM PHA, Prince Hall Freemasonry.

He is Catholic. He attended Gesu Catholic Church when he was mayor.

See also

In Spanish: Dennis Archer para niños