Earl Dunkleberger, despite being born in Anthony, Kansas, considers himself an “Okie”. Dunkleberger’s parents lived on a farm in northern Oklahoma, but the closest hospital was in Kansas. He recalls his early years, his time as a Navy medic in Vietnam and his subsequent clinical practice as a PA in his book titled “From Jungle Medicine to Okie Medicine” published in 2014. You can read the review of Earl’s book by Steve Shirley by clicking here.
When Dunkleberger was twelve, his father was diagnosed with tuberculosis and had to spend three months in a sanitarium in Clinton, Oklahoma. That left his mother, sisters and Dunkleberger to tend the family alfalfa farm and take care of the animals. After graduating from Wakita High School, he attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Oklahoma.
In early 1966 the selective service was drafting young men into the military. Although Dunkleberger had already been in college for 2 years at that time, he decided to enlist rather than be drafted, opting to become a Navy Corpsman. He attended bootcamp in San Diego, California and continued his training at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego for Hospital Corpsman School. From January to March of 1967, Dunkleberger was assigned to Oakland Naval Hospital. After his three months, he then went to Camp Pendelton, CA to attend Fleet Marine Force School. Dunkleberger states that Fleet Marine Force School “…was like another boot camp…” He was trained to “…act like Marines, look like Marines, maybe even smell like Marines…”
Dunkleberger arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam in June 1967, one year after enlisting in the Navy, and was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. As stated in his book, due to his father’s declining health, he applied for a hardship discharge and was discharged on November 25, 1969. He received a Navy Commendation Medal for “Heroic Achievement in Vietnam” on 17 March 1968.
Upon his return to Oklahoma, Dunkleberger began assisting in the care of his father and working at a service station in Wakita, Oklahoma. He then applied for physical therapy school and was accepted at Oklahoma University.
Earl Dunkleberger had mentioned to his boss at the service station that he really wanted to be a physician assistant, but the only schools at the time were in Washington state or North Carolina. One day, his boss read an article in The Daily Oklahoman about a physician associate program at the University of Oklahoma that was starting. William D. Stanhope and Dr. William Horsley were developing the program. Dunkleberger filled out the application, mailed it in and waited and waited… but he heard nothing back. One evening in the fall of 1970, he received a phone call. It was Bill Stanhope letting him know that he had been accepted into the PA program.
Dunkleberger was accepted into the very first physician associate class at the University of Oklahoma, joined by just 8 other students. After graduating in 1972, he began practicing in Wakita, Oklahoma with a starting salary of $15,500 per year. Over his 40 years of clinical practice, Dunkleberger saw patients in Wakita, Medford, Lamont, Pond Creek and Holdenville. He saw his last patient in Holdenville, Oklahoma on December 30, 2010.
In addition to his clinical practice, Dunkleberger was an early advocate for the profession. He was on the board of the Oklahoma Academy of Physician Assistants (OAPA) for much of the first twenty years of its existence and served as Academy president in 1979. In 1989, the Oklahoma Academy decided to create a PA of the Year Award, and Earl Dunkleberger was its very first recipient. The PA of the year honors a physician assistant who has provided quality health care and provided exemplary service and leadership to the PA profession in Oklahoma and has furthered the image of physician assistants. Continuing his PA profession advocacy, Dunkleberger served on the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision for several years.
Dunkleberger’s family has also made contributions to the PA profession. His son Scott followed in his father’s footsteps and graduated from the University of Oklahoma Physician Associate program in 1989. Scott continues to practice in orthopedics in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
The OAPA again recognized Earl Dunkleberger in 2022 by awarding him a lifetime membership in the Oklahoma Academy. Lifetime membership in the Academy honors PAs who have rendered distinguished service to the Academy and PA profession in Oklahoma and nationally. Recipients of this honor receive free lifetime membership in the Academy and have all the privileges of a chapter membership.
Earl Dunkleberger’s career as a Navy Corpsman and PA is marked by dedication, expertise, and leadership. Although retired, Earl continues to positively impact the lives of former patients, colleagues, and the profession itself. In 2022, Earl graciously accepted an invitation by the University of Oklahoma Physician Associate Program to be its keynote speaker at the 50th anniversary banquet celebration. Earl captivated the audience in attendance with stories of his experiences in the first PA class at the university, time in Viet Nam as a Navy medic and his 40 years of clinical practice. With his commitment to lifelong learning, advocacy, and service to the PA profession Earl is a well-respected pioneer in our field.
Acknowledgments:
This biography was written by Bruna Varalli-Claypool and was submitted to the Society in December 2025. Photographs are courtesy of Mr. Duckleberger and from his autobiography.
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