Archie Dykes was born January 20, 1931 in Rogersville, Tennessee. He graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelors degree in 1952 and a Masters in 1956. In 1959, he earned his doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee. He was a professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville from 1962 to 1966, then spent a year in a post-doctoral fellowship with the American Council on Education. In 1967 he was appointed Chancellor of the University of Tennessee- Martin and in 1971 he was appointed Chancellor of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Dykes stayed there until 1973, when he left to become Chancellor of the University of Kansas.

As Chancellor, Dykes presided over a period of phenomenal growth for the University. During his tenure, the total operating budget for the University rose by 150% and faculty salaries rose by 120%. Known for his ever-present smile and his attention to aesthetic detail on the campus, Dykes oversaw 20 capital improvement projects worth $150 million during his 7 years at KU.

Dykes left the University of Kansas in 1980 to serve as the President of the Security Benefit Group. He continued his involvement in education, serving on the Kansas Board of Regents from 1982-1985. In 2000, Dykes was named Chairman of the Whitman Corporation. He had previously been chairman of Capital City Holding and a Director of the Whitman Corporation. In 2006, Archie Dykes with his wife Nancy established a $1 million endowment for the Dykes Library at the KU Medical Center, named for him when it had been completed in 1983.