About Lester L. Dahms, CPP

Lester L. Dahms was born on March 9, 1920 near Gladbrook, Iowa, and was the fourth of six children. His early life was spent on a farm near Gladbrook and as a teenager he worked on the family farm. In 1941 Les enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps and was discharged as a sergeant in 1945. In 1947 he married Ardis Mueller. Les and Ardis had two children, Beverly and Kathleen.

Les became interested in parliamentary procedure and in 1965 was elected to the board of directors of the American Institute of Parliamentarians, a position he held for twenty years. He served as AIP president from 1970-1972 and as Executive Director from 1972-1983. Les was one of the founders of Dahms and Bierbaum Associates, Incorporated, a national referral service for parliamentarians. In 1990 Les was awarded the title of Executive Director Emeritus of the American Institute of Parliamentarians. Les was also a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.

After Les died in 1991 and Dahms and Bierbaum Associates voted to disband, some of the stockholders wanted to create a lasting memorial to his memory. The Lester L. Dahms Memorial Foundation was then established. Because of Les's deep commitment to education in the field of parliamentary procedure, the trustees have established annual workshops to provide quality educational opportunities for those individuals wanting to further their understanding of parliamentary procedure.

Those who were privileged and honored to have Lester Dahms as a friend, a colleague, and a mentor know that his spirit will carry on as we continue to study this fascinating topic of parliamentary procedure and to dedicate ourselves to furthering the democratic principles upon which it is based.