Dear Golfer, Our annual fundraising event, The George Archer Memorial Stoke of Genius Pro-Am, will be held on Monday, October 29, 2012 at The Peninsula Golf and Country Club, near San Mateo, CA. Last year's tournament sold out several weeks before the day of the event. So, please be sure to sign up as soon we begin the registration process in a few short weeks.. George began his golf career at the PGCC, as a caddy, when he was about 12, learning to play in caddy tournaments, and later on, under the watchful eye of Bud Ward and some of the members, was nurtured cared for and appreciated. I am convinced that George Archer's association with this superb Donald Ross golf course, literally saved his life as he struggled in his teen years with a disability that was little understood at the time.
George Archer had a secret. It was a serious problem and it affected his entire life. He could not read or write beyond the third grade level. In the climate of his time, the problem was rarely voiced, and he had few with whom he could discuss the fact that he was functionally illiterate.
For 45 years, his daughters and I kept his secret and covered for him as we searched for ways to solve his problem. Countless attempts with tutors and learning programs were tried but none were effective for George, and when he died September 25, 2005, he was still unable to read very well.
George made it clear before he died, that although he insisted on secrecy before his death, he felt that we should ultimately share the fact of his illiteracy with the public. Our family has done so because George believed that the revelation might help and inspire others. His life demonstrated that an individual could succeed at the highest level WITHOUT overcoming a handicap, rather IN SPITE of it. We also believe that understanding the fact of his illiteracy would explain some of his actions throughout his career.
He could not read a contract and could not personalize autographs to names that he could not spell. There were times when he was abrupt with the press because he was afraid to let them get too close. He was always afraid that someone would hand him something to read aloud at a public function. As he got older, he would say that he did not have his glasses so he could not read what he was given. He tried to memorize scripts from infomercials or insisted that he be allowed to speak using his own words.
It is the hope of our family to provide, through the George Archer Memorial Foundation for Literacy, scholarships to be used for the diagnosis of learning and/or reading problems in the first or second grade, and the subsequent hiring of special tutors with training specific to reading problem diagnosis who will work consistently with the student to resolve the specific problem.
All of us hope that you can join us as we begin this wonderful project. Our daughters and I believe that George would be very happy to know that the revelation of his illiteracy would result in a venue that would lead challenged youngsters to the wonderful, magical world of reading.
Donna Archer |