Raised in Modesto, California, Mr. Archer studied architecture for four years at the University of Oregon, but drafted by the Army before receiving his degree. He instead joined the Army Reserves, which afforded him the opportunity to play professional football for two years; the highlight of this brief career was his participation in Super Bowl II with the Oakland Raiders. He finished his education and received his degree in 1971 in architecture, with honors, from the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a licensed architect with interests in theater, classical music and bicycling. He is married and has two sons and one daughter and has lived in Mill Valley, California since 1982 but moved to Belvedere-Tiburon, California in 2020