William “Bill” Archer Dunkum passed away on May 23, 2025, at the age of 89, after a short battle with cancer. Born in Hope, Arkansas, Bill is survived by his wife of 61 years, Gwen Meyer Dunkum; two sons and their wives, four grandsons, and a great-grandson.
Bill started shooting registered skeet in 1989, at the age of 54, and continued actively shooting for over 30 years through 2021. Over those years, Bill amassed 234,366 lifetime registered targets and attended 27 World Championships, with his longest consecutive run of 14 years. Bill was named to 18 NSSA All-American Teams, with eight of those being a First Team.
There were many titles over the years, but his proudest win was the 2017 World Senior Veteran HOA Champion. That year, Bill also claimed the Main World 28-Gauge Senior Veteran Champion, as well as the 2017 Mini-World 12- and 20-Gauge Senior Veteran Championships.
During the mid-1990s, Bill was instrumental in acquiring sponsorship from then-AllTel to support the Arkansas Open Championships. Over the years the shoot was overflowing the Remington Gun Club, and the format was changed to split between the Remington Gun Club in Lonoke and Bluerock Sportsmen’s club in North Little Rock. There was a $5000.00 bounty placed on a 400×400, and the event drew shooters from across the country to brave the summer Arkansas heat.
Bill was no stranger to the the governance of gun clubs and skeet over the years as well. In addition to providing leadership to both Bluerock Sportsmen’s and the
Remington Gun Club, he also served at the NSSA level. Bill was first elected as an NSSA Director for Arkansas in 1992 and served through 2004. Bill first served on the NSSA Executive Committee in 2000 and served through 2004. In 2003, Bill Harder, the incoming President, formed the NSSA Audit Committee and named Bill
Dunkum as its first Chairman, working with co-organizer Jack Tans to bring possibly one, if not the most important committee of the NSSA into being.
Bill was a fierce competitor, a decisive leader, and an ambassador to the sport of skeet. He will be missed as a friend to many. NSSA extends its deepest condolences to Bill’s family and friends.
