Adrian L. Bowers was born in Saunders County, Nebraska, on 21 June 1888 and moved to the area of Whiting, Iowa, in 1895. He married Florence N. Trenhaile on 4 September 1914 and in that same year moved to Le Mars, Iowa. He operated Bowers Real Estate and Insurance there until his death on 14 September 1977.

In 1933 Bowers attended a Farmers Holiday meeting and spoke out against their methods. He spoke at another of their meetings, and as a result a group of Plymouth and Woodbury County farmers petitioned the Federal Court to establish a conciliation program for the Northern District of Iowa under Judge Scott. Bowers was appointed Federal Conciliation Commissioner to help farmers faced with mortgage foreclosures.

The collection (1933-1936, undated) contains radio talks given by Bowers, taped oral history interviews, newspaper clippings, and a photograph of Bowers with a farmer. The oral history interview transcript contains remarks related to the Farmer’s Holiday Movement, among other matters.