William Andrew Archer
About
William Andrew Archer (1894–1973) was an American economic botanist, ethnobotanist, taxonomist, plant explorer, and herbarium curator. He was born in Torreon, Mexico to American parents. Archer studied at New Mexico State College, earning his B.S. in biology, and completed a Ph.D. in botany and mycology at the University of Michigan in 1925. Most of his professional career was spent at United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including his position as Curator of the United States National Arboretum Herbarium from 1938 to 1964. After his retirement from the USDA, Archer was appointed Research Associate in the Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). His career was marked by extensive collecting trips to Central and South America and to Africa. He spoke English, Portuguese and Spanish.
