’51-’52 & ’54-’55 Football, Basketball, Baseball

Milton attended Estherville Junior College because he wanted a school that was affordable and the opportunity to play for Coach George Hess.

Milton not only made a name for himself at Estherville Junior College, but also in the communities following his attendance at EJC. He was selected to the All-Conference team in football, basketball, and baseball. Milton was also selected to the All-State team in both football and basketball. Within the Estherville community, he served on the Estherville Recreation Board and the Estherville Booster Club. He served two years as the Recreation Director at the South Dakota State Prison, was a volunteer driver for 10 years in the Army (16 months in Korea), and was selected outstanding trainee in the Army. Milton was also selected to the All-Far East team in Japan for both football and basketball. In the college world, he coached football for ten years with a 79-11 win/loss record, coached track for ten years with several state championships, and was selected to the Northwest Iowa Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame. 

There are many things about EJC that Milton has fond memories of, like attending and winning the state speech contest, playing against athletes from larger schools, and getting his head split open from a teammate’s tooth. 

Coach George Hess, Arvil Parks (Dean of College), N.E. Demoney (college instructor), Leo Fitzgibbons, Dick Everds, O.C. Gibson, and Jack Kent made the most impact on Milton while he attended EJC. 

After earning his Liberal Arts degree, he attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls. He graduated from Augustana with a B.A. Degree and then received his M.A. Degree in education from SDSU. While at Augie, Milton started in four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He is the only person at Augie to letter in four sports. He played both ways on the football field: running back for offense and safety on defense. Milton was then given a tryout with the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in 1957.

Milton is now a retired teacher. He mows lawns, pushes snow in his “Packer Jeep”, and plays a lot of golf. He was recently selected as Fan of the Year by the ELC Booster Club. 

He would like to thank his wife, Sharon, daughters, Terri and Pam, and his mother and father-in-law for all of the support they have shown him. 

Milton considers it a great honor to be included with the other honorees to be inducted into the Iowa Lakes Hall of Fame. 

Congratulations Milton “Doc” Archer on being inducted into the Iowa Lakes Hall of Fame.