John Archer (10 August 1921 – 29 July 1997) was an English athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres. He was born in Nottingham.
He grew up at 24 North Gate in New Basford.
He attended the High Pavement Grammar School. He returned to the High Pavement school on Friday 19 November 1948 for a presentation from the Lord Mayor, for his Olympic success.[1]
His county 100m record of 10.6 seconds lasted until August 1996, when Cori Henry ran 10.5 secs in Dudley.[2]
He trained as a PE teacher at Loughborough College in 1950. He also played rugby for the Notts, Lincs and Derbys team. He broke his leg playing rugby around late 1946.
He was a Wellington bomber pilot in WWII, becoming a Flt Lt. He taught PE at his old school.[3]
For many years he was the principal of St Paul's College of Education in Cheltenham, later the University of Gloucestershire.
He won the European Athletics championships 1946 Oslo men's 100 m with a consistent time of 10.6 seconds through the heats and in the final. He competed for Great Britain in the Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – men's 4 × 100 metres relay held in London, Great Britain where he won the silver medal with his teammates John Gregory, Alastair McCorquodale and Kenneth Jones. The British team were initially awarded the gold medal after the US team were disqualified for a faulty baton change but, two days later, following a review, they had to hand the gold medals back and were awarded the silver medal in a second ceremony.He represented England and won a silver medal in the 4×110 yd relay at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand.[4] [5]
He was married by Canon J Lowndes at C of E St Leodegarius Church, Basfordto Josephine Dorothy Hateley of 159 Park Road in Loughborough, a former art student of Loughborough College.[6] [7]
His sister was Dorothy Cooke of Tring Vale in Sherwood. Josephine and John had son Paul, a teacher, and daughter Lorna, a doctor.[8]
Archer died in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1997.