Politics / Law
Dennis Archer
born 1942 · lawyer, Michigan Supreme Court justice, mayor of Detroit
East Side-born special-education teacher turned lawyer and state Supreme Court justice who as mayor (1994–2001) brought casinos, Comerica Park and Ford Field to Detroit, then led the American Bar Association.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 84- Birth name
- Dennis Wayne Archer
- Also known as
- Dennis W. Archer
- Detroit years
- 1942–1947, 1960s–
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Dennis Archer was born on Detroit's East Side in 1942; when he was five his family moved to rural Cassopolis after his father lost an arm. He worked from the age of eight, then paid for college by painting houses and became the first African American in Henry Ford Hospital's medical records department. He studied at Wayne State, the Detroit Institute of Technology and Western Michigan University and taught special education at Detroit's Ralph Bunche Elementary from 1965 to 1970 while earning a law degree at the Detroit College of Law. He built a prominent practice, led several bar associations and in 1986 was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court. Elected mayor in 1993, he won a federal empowerment zone, opened the city's three casinos and backed Comerica Park and Ford Field, serving two terms until 2001. He later became the first Black president of the American Bar Association and in 2004 was appointed Rosa Parks's legal guardian.
Highlights
- Mayor of Detroit, 1994–2001
- Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1986–1990
- First Black president of the American Bar Association (2003–2004)
- Oversaw the opening of Detroit's three casinos
- Former special-education teacher at Ralph Bunche Elementary
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 1994–2001
The Spirit of Detroit
Seat of the mayor's office during his two terms.
Favorite haunt · 1994–2001
Gesu Catholic Church
Northwest Detroit parish near the University of Detroit where he worshiped during his years as mayor.