He was widely known for portraying prominent historical scientists during some of his lectures; dressing in costume and speaking in character to entertain and inform his students.

He initially studied at the University of Tulsa, planning a career in the clergy, before switching to zoology, earning a bachelor's degree and doctorate at UC Berkeley.

He initially planned to go into the clergy, enrolling in the University of Tulsa and studying subjects such as theology and Greek for two years, before deciding to pursue zoology.

From 1935 to 1936 he worked in Germany as a postdoctoral scholar in the laboratories of embryologists Otto Mangold [de] and Nobel laureate Hans Spemann.

[2] In 1956 he published a history of zoological research at Berkeley spanning the period from the university's 1868 founding through 1956,[6] followed by a 1988 companion article covering the intervening 32 years.

Eakin, alone or with colleagues, published many other papers on the anatomy and function of reptilian parietal eyes and similar structures in amphibians.

[2][5] In 1970, in order to combat boredom and absenteeism in his introductory zoology course, Eakin gave his first lecture in character, appearing unannounced in full costume and makeup as William Harvey, the 17th-century physician who made the first complete descriptions of blood circulation.

The figures portrayed, in order of appearance during a typical course,[16] were: Eakin considered his impersonation of Spemann to be his most authoritative, due to knowing him personally from working in his lab in Germany, helping translate a book of his into English, and becoming good friends.

In a 1981 interview, Eakin stressed that matters of faith and science should be kept separate – as he did in his own life as both a Christian and a scientist – and that proponents of teaching creationism alongside evolution in public schools should similarly recognize the differences.