[1][5] Macklin was a graduate of Douglass High School in Oklahoma City.
degree in art education from the Pennsylvania State University,[1] his dissertation was titled, "A Descriptive Study of the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Identification, Aesthetic Attitude and Art Object Preferences of High School Students" (1969).
[7] Macklin chaired the art department at Jackson State University (JSU) a public historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi, and under his leadership his department was able to gain a favorable accreditation.
[7] In 1992, he curated an exhibition of Yoruban Tunde Afolayan Famous Jr.'s paintings at JSU's F.D.
[8] After having a heart attack, Macklin died on July 26, 2001, in Jackson, Mississippi.