Dennis Archer
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Dennis Wayne Archer (born January 1, 1942) is an American lawyer and politican from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served on the Michigan Supreme Court, as mayor of Detroit. He later served as president of the American Bar Association, becoming the first African-American president of that organization.[1]
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[edit] Early life and education
Archer was born in Detroit. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education from Western Michigan University. He taught learning-disabled children in Detroit Public Schools from 1965 to 1970. Archer earned his J.D. from the Detroit College of Law in 1970.[2]
[edit] Service on the Michigan Supreme Court and as Detroit mayor
Archer served as a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1985 to 1993. In his last year as a Michigan Supreme Court justice, he was named "most respected judge in Michigan" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Archer served as mayor of Detroit from 1993 to 2001. As mayor, Archer worked to repair the city's relations with the Detroit suburbs and the local business community through cooperation with suburban business leaders on their redevelopment plans for the city, reducing tensions.
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.
As mayor Archer was never popular with loyalists of his predecessor, Coleman Young. Young favored Sharon McPhail, a former member of the Detroit City Council, and wished for her to succeed him. In the 1993 race to succeed Young, Archer (who is black) did not win a majority of the black vote. Archer was reelected by a large margin in 1997, but was subject to a recall campaign in his second term, launched by many of his original opponents. Archer refused to run for re-election in 2001.
[edit] Post-mayoralty
In October 2004, Archer was appointed legal guardian for famous civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
In 2004, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Archer to the board of trustees of the Western Michigan University to serve the eight-year term ending December 31, 2012.
Archer is chairman of Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright.
In February 2008, Archer announced that he might run for governor of Michigan in 2010.[3]
[edit] Personal life
Archer is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and of Geometry Lodge #49, F&AM PHA, Prince Hall Freemasonry.
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Dennis Archer Becomes First African American President-Elect of the American Bar Association", US Mayor Newspaper, September 9, 2002.
- ^ Dennis Archer. Detroit African-American History Project. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
- ^ "Ex-Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer says he may run for governor", Associated Press, February 6, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
| Preceded by Coleman Young |
Mayor of Detroit 1993–2001 |
Succeeded by Kwame Kilpatrick |
