William Reynolds Archer Jr. (1928 – 2026)

Their Story

William Reynolds Archer Jr. was an American retired lawyer and politician who served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1971, changing from the Democratic to the Republican party in December 1967, and later represented Texas in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican for 30 years, from 1971 until 2001, serving for his last six years as chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. After graduating from St. Thomas High School, Archer attended Rice University and then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where he obtained his BBA and law degrees. Upon graduating from law school in 1951, Archer was admitted to the State Bar of Texas and started up his practice in Houston, Texas. He served as a councilman and mayor pro tempore for the city of Hunters Creek Village from 1955 to 1962. He won his first Congressional election with 65% of the vote and was reelected 14 times, never facing serious opposition in what had become one of the most Republican districts in Texas, with his 1970 victory representing his lowest percentage. Among his many accomplishments in the House of Representatives, Archer was a key player in getting the 1997 balanced budget with tax relief signed into law, and his initiatives of easing the death tax, expanding IRAs, and providing a $500 per child tax credit for middle-income Americans became law. He is the namesake of a distinguished fellowship program with the University of Texas System, the Archer Fellowship Program, which brings students from all over the UT System to Washington, D.C. for a full semester of classes and internships.</bio> <parameter name="timelineEvents">[ { "date": "1928-03-22", "title": "Born in Houston, Texas", "description": "William Reynolds Archer Jr. was born in Houston, Harris County, Texas." }, { "date": "1951", "title": "Admitted to the Texas Bar", "description": "Upon graduating from law school at the University of Texas at Austin, Archer was admitted to the State Bar of Texas and started his law practice in Houston." }, { "date": "1955", "title": "Entered local politics", "description": "Archer served as a councilman and mayor pro tempore for the city of Hunters Creek Village, a position he held until 1962." }, { "date": "1967", "title": "Elected to Texas House of Representatives", "description": "Archer was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he served two terms from 1967 to 1971." }, { "date": "1967-12", "title": "Changed party affiliation", "description": "Archer switched from the Democratic to the Republican party in December 1967." }, { "date": "1971", "title": "Elected to U.S. House of Representatives", "description": "Archer was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas's 7th District, succeeding former President George H.W. Bush." }, { "date": "1995", "title": "Became Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee", "description": "In January 1995, at the start of the 104th Congress, Archer became Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, a goal he had long sought." }, { "date": "2001-01-02", "title": "Retired from Congress", "description": "Archer retired from the U.S. House of Representatives after 30 years of service, with a career spanning 40 years in local, state, and federal government." }, { "date": "2026-07-04", "title": "Died at age 98", "description": "William Reynolds Archer Jr. passed away on July 4, 2026, at the age of 98." } ]