Dennis Wayne Archer (born on January 1, 1942) is an American lawyer, judge, and politician from Michigan. As a member of the Democratic Party, Archer worked as a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court and as the mayor of Detroit. Later, he became president of the American Bar Association, making him the first African-American leader of the organization. Before 1943, the organization did not allow African-American lawyers to join.
Early life and education
Dennis Archer was born on January 1, 1942, to a family that worked hard for money and lived on the east side of Detroit. His family had difficulty earning enough money because Archer’s father lost his arm in a car accident. There were not many jobs available for people with disabilities in the city, so the family moved to a small town called Cassopolis when Archer was five years old.
At age eight, Archer began working to help support his family. He worked as a golf caddy, a person who sets pins in a bowling alley, and a cleaner at a bakery. After finishing high school, Archer paid for his college education by painting houses, working at a drug store, and becoming the first African-American to work in the medical records department at Henry Ford Hospital. He started college at Wayne State University with the goal of becoming a pharmacist. Later, he moved to the Detroit Institute of Technology and then to Western Michigan University.
At Western Michigan University, he earned a college degree in education. He first planned to teach history but later chose to teach students with disabilities at Ralph Bunche Elementary School, which is near downtown Detroit. From 1965 to 1970, Archer taught children with disabilities in Detroit Public Schools. He then completed his law degree from the Detroit College of Law, which is now called the College of Law at Michigan State University, in 1970.
In addition to working as a lawyer in Detroit, Archer taught at the Detroit College of Law from 1972 to 1978 and taught part-time at Wayne State University Law School from 1984 to 1985. He was a member of the board of directors for the Detroit Bar Association and led the association’s Young Lawyers Section from 1973 to 1975. Archer also served as president of three bar associations: The Wolverine Bar Association from 1979 to 1980, the National Bar Association from 1983 to 1984, and the State Bar of Michigan from 1984 to 1985.
Service on the Michigan Supreme Court
After working as a lawyer for 15 years, Archer was named to the Michigan Supreme Court by Governor James Blanchard. He became only the second African American man to serve on that court in Michigan’s history, ending a time of almost twenty years without any African American judges. Archer worked as a justice from 1986 to 1990. In his final year on the Michigan Supreme Court, he was called "the most respected judge in Michigan" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Detroit mayoralty
In 1993, Archer started his campaign to become mayor of Detroit. He ran against Mayor Coleman Young, who was trying to win a sixth term. When Mayor Young left the race because of illness, he supported Sharon McPhail.
Archer’s campaign focused on helping people from both the suburbs and the city of Detroit get along better. He also opposed building casinos, a position that matched the views of many city voters and religious leaders. This caused some people in the African-American community to worry that Archer might favor white residents over African-American residents. Some believed Archer was not black enough to lead a city where most people were African American. To address these concerns, Archer explained that he represented all people in need, including children, the homeless, and those living in poverty. He emphasized that he wanted to improve life for everyone, regardless of race or background. David Axelrod was one of the main people helping Archer with his campaign.
In November 1993, Archer won the election against McPhail. He received 57% of the votes, while McPhail received 43%. Exit polls showed that Archer won 90% of the white vote but only 47% of the black vote.
Archer served as mayor from 1993 to 2001. During his time in office, he worked to improve relationships between Detroit and the surrounding suburbs, as well as with local businesses. He helped bring Compuware, a major technology company, to the city. He also modernized city operations by introducing computers to most city departments. His administration started a program to help people find jobs.
In his first term, Detroit was chosen to receive an empowerment zone, which brought $100 million in federal funding to the city. Unemployment in the city also decreased during his leadership.
Archer supported several construction projects in downtown Detroit, including Ford Field for the Detroit Lions and Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers. He also became president of the National League of Cities during his final year as mayor.
Although crime and unemployment decreased during his time as mayor, Archer faced criticism for not listening enough to African-American leaders. He was also criticized for allowing three casinos to open in the city without giving any licenses to African-American-owned businesses.
Archer was re-elected in 1997 with strong support. However, during his second term, he faced a recall campaign from many of his earlier opponents. In 2001, he decided not to run for re-election.
Post-mayoralty
After leaving his job as mayor in January 2002, Archer was appointed as chair of the Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright and as a member of the board of directors of Compuware. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
In 2004, he was appointed to an eight-year term that ended on December 31, 2012, on the board of trustees of Western Michigan University by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. He was also appointed legal guardian for Rosa Parks in October 2004.
In February 2008, Archer said he was thinking about running for governor of Michigan in 2010, but he decided not to run in the following November.
Archer serves as co-chair of the National Transportation Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
He is currently a member of the senior advisory board at Jefferies Global, an investment bank.
Archer is an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee and serves on its executive committee.
Archer was a superdelegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He supported the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.
On December 1, 2017, Archer released his memoir, Let the Future Begin, which he co-wrote with Elizabeth Ann Atkins. The book was published by Atkins & Greenspan Writing.
Personal life
Archer is part of Alpha Phi Alpha and Geometry Lodge #49, F&AM PHA, Prince Hall Freemasonry. He is Catholic and attended Gesu Catholic Church while he was mayor.