Dennis Wayne Archer (born January 1, 1942) is an American lawyer, jurist and politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served as Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit. He later served as president of the American Bar Association, becoming the first black president of the organization, which, until 1943, had barred African-American lawyers from membership.<!-- It may be possible to replace this dead-linked report with a peer-reviewed journal article by the same author, Ololade Olakanmi, who has written elsewhere on the subject, or by someone who cites him. -->

Early life and education

Dennis Archer was born on January 1, 1942, to a working-class family living on the east side of Detroit. His family struggled financially because Archer's father lost his arm in an automobile accident. There were few employment opportunities for disabled people in the city, so the family relocated to rural Cassopolis when Archer was five years old.

In November 1993, Archer won the election over McPhail, with votes divided 57 to 43 percent respectively.

In his first term as mayor, Detroit was selected to house an empowerment zone and received other federal benefits which cumulatively brought $100 million to the city. Unemployment also decreased in the city.

Archer was a strong supporter of numerous construction projects in downtown Detroit, including two new stadiums, Ford Field for the Detroit Lions and Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers. Archer also became president of the National League of Cities during his last year as mayor.

Despite the decrease in crime and unemployment during Archer's time as mayor, he was frequently criticized for allegedly not supporting or listening to leaders of the African-American community.  He faced strong opposition when opening three casinos within city limits and not granting any of the three casino licenses to an African American.

He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

In 2004, he was appointed to an eight-year term ending December 31, 2012 on the board of trustees of the Western Michigan University by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. He was appointed legal guardian for Rosa Parks in October 2004.

In February 2008, Archer announced that he was considering running for governor of Michigan in 2010, but ultimately decided not to enter the race the following November.

Archer serves as a co-chair of the National Transportation Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

He is currently a member of investment bank Jefferies Global Senior Advisory Board.

Archer is an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee, where he serves as a member of the executive committee.

Archer was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He supported the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

On December 1, 2017, Archer released his memoir, "Let the Future Begin," co-written with Elizabeth Ann Atkins, and published by Atkins & Greenspan Writing.

Personal life

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

He is Catholic, and attended Gesu Catholic Church during his terms as mayor.

Notes

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-detroit-mayor-dennis-w-archer-to-release-memoir-300565403.html

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  • Attorney Profile of Dennis Archer