d. r. fulkerson was born in tamms, illinois, the third of six children of elbert and emma fulkerson. fulkerson became an undergraduate at southern illinois university. his academic career was interrupted by military service during world war ii. having returned to complete his degree after the war, he went on to do a ph.d. in mathematics at the university of wisconsin–madison under the supervision of cyrus macduffee, who was a student of l. e. dickson. fulkerson received his ph.d. in 1951.