Dr. Dunphy was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, March 31, 1908. He received his A.B. from the College of Holy Cross (1929), and his M.D. from Harvard University (1933). He held an internship and residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, beginning in 1933, becoming surgeon there in 1949. He was a fellow in surgery at the Lahey Clinic (1938); held the George Gorham Peters travelling fellowship (1938), and was Arthur Tracy Cabot fellow in surgery at the Laboratory of Surgical Research at Harvard (1939-40).

From 1939 to 1959 Dr. Dunphy was on the faculty of the Medical School at Harvard, where he was professor of surgery. He was Kenneth A.J. MacKenzie professor of surgery, and chairman of the department at the University of Oregon, 1959-64. In 1964 he became professor of surgery and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the UCSF School of Medicine, and held that position until 1975, at which time he became professor emeritus. He served also as associate chief of staff for education at the VA Medical Center in San Francisco, 1975-79.

Dr.Dunphy was a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, and chairman, 1959-61; fellow, American College of Surgeons (President, 1963, chairman of the Board of Regents 1971-73); member of the AMA, Royal College of Surgeons of England (hon.), the International Surgeons Group (President, 1978); Philippine College of Surgeons (hon.), Society of surgery of the Alimentary Tract, and of the Southern, Western, New England and Pacific Coast surgical associations, among others.