Mr. Dunklin had two passions in life – farming and tennis. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he returned to Arkansas where he helped run the family business, Planters Cotton Oil Mill, until he retired in 2005 as President after 66 years. He was the 1975 President of the National Cottonseed Association, Member of the Cotton Advisory Committee to the U.S. Agriculture Department Secretary and he received the 1990 Harvey W. McGeorge Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture, among other honors.

When Mr. Dunklin was not working on behalf of farmers across the country, he could be found on the tennis court. His love for the sport of tennis took him around the world. Not only was he the Arkansas State Men’s Tennis Champion a record nine times, but he also played in two Grand Slam tournaments, the French Open and the U.S. Open. Mr. Dunklin was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame and was a past President of the Arkansas Tennis Association.

Mr. Dunklin was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Pine Bluff where he served as Deacon and Sunday School teacher. He was a member and past President of the Pine Bluff Rotary Club and past President of the Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce.  He was the Director of Simmons First National Corporation in Pine Bluff and he served as Chairman of the Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.

My deepest condolences go to Mr. Dunklin’s wife, Mary Elisabeth ‘Lib’ Black Dunklin of Pine Bluff; his daughter Deborah Tipton of Memphis, TN; his son George Dunklin, Jr. of DeWitt; his two brothers William Dunklin of Pine Bluff and Louis Dunklin of Dallas, TX; and to his 5 grandchildren. Mr. George Dunklin, Sr., will be greatly missed in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County and throughout the state of Arkansas.