PLATTSBURGH – Julius A. Archibald, Jr., Professor of Computer Science, Emeritus, and former Associate Dean of Arts and Science at Plattsburgh, New York, passed onto Eternal Life on 28 August, 2023 in the presence of loving wife.  He was born on May 9, 1931, in the City of New York, the only child of Julius Adrian Archibald Sr. and Edrie Valerie Fair Archibald.

The Fair family had emigrated from the Danish (now American) Virgin Islands late in the nineteenth century.  Julius, Sr. was the younger of two brothers who emigrated from the British West Indian Island of Trinidad (now independent) in the early twentieth century.  Both of Julius' parents were, at the time of his birth, teachers in the Public Schools of the City of New York.  His father also practiced law, and, in 1952, was elected to the Senate of the State of New York, (the first person of African descent to have done so); he served through 1953 and 1954.  Upon being sworn into office Julius Sr. declared that he wanted to be known, using the language of the day, as "a Senator that happened to be Negro, and not as a Negro Senator."  This philosophy guided Julius, Jr. through his entire life.  In later years, Julius, Sr. served the public as the Deputy County Clerk (Commissioner of Jurors) in New York County and finally as a Judge of the criminal Court of the City of New York.

Julius, Jr. Grew up in the City of New York and attended the Public Schools of that City: Public School 186 (Alexander Hamilton) and Junior High School 43 (Manhattanville), both in Manhattan; he graduated from the Bronx High School of Science.  He went on to earn a degrees in Mathematics from New York University, and as an Air Force ROTC graduate, was assigned as a lieutenant to the Air Research and Development Command at the Wright Air Development Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, outside of Dayton, Ohio, where he worked on the problem of "nose-gear shimmy" (spontaneous vibration of the aircraft nose-gear assembly preceding take-off and upon touch-down).  It was through this experience at "Wright-Pat" in the mid-fifties that Julius first became aware of, and fascinated by, the realities and potential benefits of electronic digital computers.

It was also while stationed at "Wright-Pat" that he met the love of his life, Anola Loree Howard of Toronto, Ohio.  They were married on March 27, 1954, and have been life companions ever since.

Upon his separation from the United States Air Force in 1955, Julius accepted a position in scientific computer programming on digital computers with the General Electric Company (GE) at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) in Schenectady, New York.  The mission of the Laboratory was the design, building, analysis, and testing of the nuclear power plants for the propulsion of ships operated by the United States Navy.  Mathematical modelling and computer simulation were important components of the design process and analysis of these power plants, to the extent that nothing was built without having been extensively modelled and analyzed on a computer!  The modelling was mathematically complex, involving the application of partial differential equations to nuclear diffusion theory.  Over the years at KAPL, 1955-1968, Julius went from having been a programmer for part of the nuclear diffusion model (first on a UNIVAC and later on an IBM704), to completely reorganizing and redesigning the entire process of performing nuclear diffusion computations on ever larger and faster computers. These computations were all-consuming: the Laboratory required the use of the largest and fastest available computers for this task and kept them in operation for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Later in his career at KAPL, in the role of Consulting Computer Scientist, Julius oversaw the selection, acquisition, installation, and utilization of the large-scale "super" computers of the day to meet the Laboratory's needs.

During the years at KAPL, Julius was a finalist, twice, in the annual competition sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce for the "Man [under the age of 35] of the Year."  It was also during these years that his three children were born: Julius A., III, Phyllis Valerie (Mitchell), and Edrie Gladys.

In 1968, Julius was transferred to a new department within the General Electric Company; the Information Networks Department, located in Bethesda, Maryland.  With this change, Julius' attention was directed to the design and modelling of remotely accessed, interactive, shared computing systems, interconnected through a communications network.  It was this technology that led to the networking of small, independent computers with themselves and with larger computers that ultimately led to global networking and modern electronic mail.

In 1970, Julius was invited to join the Faculty of Science and Mathematics at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Arts and Science in Plattsburgh, New York, as Associate Professor of Computer Science.  The decision to accept this invitation was easy to make; Julius had fully enjoyed the few industrial teaching opportunities that had come his way while at KAPL and he readily embraced the opportunity to enter what had been his parents' first profession, that of teaching.  Four years after coming to Plattsburgh, he was promoted to the academic rank of Professor, and with the recommendation of his departmental colleagues, was appointed to be Chair of his department by the College President, an administrative position that he held for twenty-two years.  In his role as Chairperson, he oversaw the design, development and implementation of major and minor curricula in Computer Science, and simultaneously administered the undergraduate education of (at one time, as many as 450) students enrolled in the major.  During his time as Chair of Computer Science, he spent two years, concurrently, as Interim Chair of the Department of Mathematics, and became part-time Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science in 1994.

From the time of his arrival at SUNY Plattsburgh, Julius worked with faculty colleagues of many academic disciplines, both locally and throughout the SUNY undergraduate Colleges, toward the enhancement of computing facilities for use by teaching faculty and their students.  These efforts led to the budgeting of funds, at the level of the University itself, for computing and related equipment, for the exclusive use by students; these efforts also led to the establishment of the annual, university-wide, Conferences on Instructional Technology.

Julius quickly recognized that, as a college professor, he was privileged to hold the greatest of all jobs!

Julius realized that one of the components of effective teaching is scholarship.  Teachers must learn through gaining deeper and fresher insights and understandings of subject material at a more advanced level, and through gaining insights into the processes whereby human learning occurs.  He believed that teaching and learning go together; in a classroom situation, if the teacher is not learning, no one else is learning.  He also believed that there is only one criterion for judging and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, and that is the learning (however defined and measured) experienced by the students as a result, not only of the direct interaction and formal instruction provided by the teacher, but also by the reinforcement, inspiration, enthusiasm, confidence, and role modelling informally exude and provided by the teacher.  He came to understand that a teacher is gratified by the later successes and accomplishments of his or her students, in much the same manner as parents are gratified by the successes and accomplishments of their children.

Julius finally "put his chalk down" (retired from regular college teaching) in 1996, and fully retired from SUNY Plattsburgh as Associate Dean in 1998.  His belief that "once a teacher, always a teacher" impacted much of his post-retirement activity.

Religion has always been an important part of Julius' life.  He was reared in New York City in the (formerly Protestant) Episcopal Church.  He spent the major part of his childhood and youth as a member of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, where he also served, separately, chorister, and acolyte.  Shortly after their marriage, Julius united with Anola by embracing "Father Wesley's Movement".  The Methodist (now United Methodist) Church.  Julius has never seen any real theological differences between these Churches, only differences based upon tradition and organization.  Julius longs for the day when these enter into a mutual relationship of "Full Communion"; he remains disappointed that this has not yet been accomplished.

Julius has, from time to time, served his local Methodist Churches, Trinity (now Faith) in Schenectady, Faith in Rockville, Maryland, and the Plattsburgh United Methodist Church, in a variety of ways.  He is a long-time member (and two-time former President) of the Board of Sponsors of the Protestant Campus Ministry which serves students at SUNY Plattsburgh and the Clinton County Community College.  At the Plattsburgh Church, he inspired the original development of what has become the Interfaith Food Shelf; he also inspired the extension of the Church's worship ministry to the residents of the Vilas Home and Meadowbrook Nursing Home for the elderly.  In recent years, he has taught Bible Study for adults at the Plattsburgh United Methodist Church and the Trinity Episcopal Church of Plattsburgh.

Julius' activities in Methodism went beyond his local church to the Adirondack District, the former Troy Annual Conference, and the upper New York Annual Conference, where, from time to time, he served in a variety of leadership rules.  He is a former District Lay Leader of the Adirondack District (1992-1996), and former Conference Lay Leader of the former Troy Annual Conference (1996-2004).  As a Certified Lay Speaker, he has been a frequent guest preacher at numerous local churches.  Julius has been a member of the delegation to seven quadrennial General Conferences of the United Methodist Church, and to eight quadrennial Jurisdictional Conferences of the Church's Northeastern Jurisdiction.  He has, from time to time, served the general United Methodist Church as a member of the General Council on Ministries, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), The Committee on The Advance for Christ and His Church, The General Board of Discipleship Ministries, The Committee on Older Adults Ministries, and The Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders (the latter of which he was President for two years).  He was a recipient of the Harry Denman Award for Evangelism in 2004

Julius also served the community through his activities on the Board of Directors of Literacy Volunteers of Clinton County (LVCC), having served two non-consecutive six-years terms as President of the Board.  LVCC is a local affiliated of Literacy New York (LNY), a part of the national organization formerly known as Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA).  He was also, at one time, a member of the Board of Directors of LNY, serving in that capacity for six years.  Julius' contributions to LVCC were recognized in 2007 when he was presented with the Polly Parsons award, named in honor of the founder of LVCC.

Another of Julius' local interests was the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, located at the Au Sable Chasm, just outside of Keeseville, New York, and operated by the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, of which he is a member of the Board of Directors.

Julius has recently been invited to serve as a community member of the Institutional Review Board of the local hospital, The Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH).  The Hospital is a part of the University of Vermont Health Network.  The Board is charged with oversight of research involving human subjects.

Julius is a life-long lover of classical music; he could listen to the music of such composers of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven endlessly.  This love of classical music began when, at the age of four, he received not only his first violin, but also his first violin lesson, from a Juilliard student by the name of Dean Dixon, son of a close family friends.  (In later years, Dean Dixon became conductor of his own chamber orchestra in New York; he had guest conducting appearances with such American orchestras as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the no-longer existing NBC Orchestra.  After World War II, and because of his race, Dean Dixon found it necessary to seek conducting opportunities outside of the United States and became successful as the regular conductor of orchestras in Hesse, Germany, and in Sydney, Australia.)  Julius switched to viola while in high school and played in his high school orchestra and in what was then the New York Youth Orchestra.  As an adult, he played with the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra and the Plattsburgh College Community Orchestra.  He has been an occasional instrumental soloist at the Plattsburgh United Methodist Church.

Julius is pre-deceased by his parents, two infant sons, one infant grandson, an older half-brother whom he never met, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.  He is survivors include his wife of 69 years, his son and daughter-in-law (Julius, III and Monique), his daughters Phyllis Archibald Mitchell and Edrie G. Archibald, his "adopted daughter" Crystal Mang, and "adopted son" Albert Ball (and wife Christine). Ten Grandchildren, Anola Mooney, Shannon Griffiths (and husband Craig) (who both grew up in his home), Alvin Mitchell (and wife Katrin), Hannah Mitchell, Julius A. Archibald IV, Naomi Mitchell, Jonah Mitchell (and wife Amanda), Rachel Kelly (and husband Ricky), David Mitchell (and wife Ayla), and Edrie Iva Archibald (who also grew up in his home), seventeen great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be held Friday, September 15, 2023 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the R. W. Walker Funeral Home in Plattsburgh. A funeral service will be celebrated Saturday, September 16th at 1:00pm at the United Methodist Church in Plattsburgh.  Interment will be in the Archibald Family Plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

Donations may be made to the Interfaith Food Shelf in Plattsburgh.

Arrangements by the R.W. Walker Funeral Home, 69 Court Street, Plattsburgh, NY.