He received a BA from Swarthmore College with High Honors in 1950 and a PhD in mathematics from Princeton University in 1954.
While at Bell Labs (1954–1984), Eckler co-authored Mathematical Models of Target Coverage and Missile Allocation with Stefan A.
[1] Eckler was the publisher and editor of Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics.
Eckler disproved exaggerated age claims such as those of Charlie Smith and George Fruits while authenticating others such as Delina Filkins (1815–1928).
He was also an active recreational caver starting in 1952; he joined the National Speleological Society in 1957, and became a life member in 1962.